Early blossom in coffee worries planters

“It is for the first time that we are seeing coffee blossom in December. There has been a drastic change in the weather and the implication are obvious. That is the reason why we have not been able to convert our produce into cash,” say most of the planters.

Heavy rains lashed over the region during last Sunday and as a result of this shower coffee flowers are blooming in Robasta plantation. Only those plants which were in shades of other plants have been spared but about 50 per cent of the plants have flowers. Usually the flowers bloom during February, which is the right time for blossom after one crop. Now since the flowers have blossomed right in December itself, it will have adverse impact on the plants which already have ripe beans. Since labourers are plucking the beans, many flowers might be damaged as well. Farmers say that if the rains stop by October then it will do good to them as they can process the beans comfortably but if rains persist then they will have to bid adieu to this crop too. The fate of the growers is still in the hands of the rains, as usual.