Coriander brings relief to drought-hit farmers

Poor rainfall and the depletion of the groundwater table have forced farmers to plant short-term crops in the taluk.

Coriander has become one such crop as it needs less water and little time to grow.
The crop is said to be helping farmers recieve financially from losses incurred because of the drought.

Demand from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh for coriander has also strengthened the crop’s importance in the region and has encouraged farmers to sow the crop.
But even among coriander, taluk officials revealed that many farmers have been growing the hybrid variety instead of the local (‘naati’) version. Hybrid coriander can be grown in just a month’s time.

Returns on investment

An initial investment of Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per acre is required to grow the crop, but this assures farmers of at least 400-500 coriander bunches per crop.
“Even if one bunch is sold for Rs two, farmers will get Rs 10,000 per crop,” a farmer explained.   

Some traders who purchase the crop directly from the field also pay farmers in advance.
“If fluctuation in price is not drastic at the time of sale, the traders will pay the sum promised to farmers,” said Amarappa, a farmer at Majaravenkatapura.