Drought robs their fruits of labour

Scanty rain has meant fall in production at Bijapurs orchards

The drought has taken a toll on the horticulture sector, which the district is famous for the worldover, this year. The crisis has virtually derailed Bijapur’s economy.

The growers are facing severe losses with the grape vines and the lemon and pomegranate orchards failing to yield any produce. 

The rainfall has been scanty in the district. The open wells and borewells have all gone dry, with the water table plummeting to an abysmally low level. 

The worried growers made efforts to save the standing crops by buying water from private suppliers, but the quantity was not just enough. 

The grape season has come to an end on an unhappy note. The fruits had no buyers as the quality has not been of international standards. 

Exporters, who used to make frequent visits to the farms, have stopped coming with the crops withering in the farms. 

With exports now a near impossibility, the farmers are drying the grapes to be sold as raisins. However, the market for raisins too is not at all encouraging this time around as the growers are being offered a pittance. 

There has been a 75 per cent fall in the production of lemon in the district, due to the non-availability of water. Lemon growers used to rake in the moolah during summer, with the season fetching the highest rates. 

This year too the prices are on the higher side, but the steep fall in prodution is proving costly for the growers. Quality has also taken a beating. As a result, the lemon growers are forced to sell most of the output in the local market at throwaway prices. With the trees in the orchards withering, the farmers are now uprooting them so as to ready the farms for the next crop. 

If the villages are facing an acute shortage of drinking water, the towns and city are just slightly better as water is supplied once in eight to 10 days. There has been no rain in the district, except in a few places. 

The drought situation has had a debilitating effect on the district’s economy. 

While the farm workers have been rendered jobless, the transporters have no loads to carry and the commission agents have no income coming their way. 

Overall, the scene is distressing everywhere in the district.