Coffee growers demand subsidy for coffee driers

Coffee Belegarara Hitarakshana Vedike submitted a memorandum to Coffee Board General Secretary M Chandrashekhar, demanding subsidy from the Coffee Board towards coffee driers.

The office bearers of the forum met the general secretary during his visit to the coffee plantations in Mallandur and other areas in Chikkamagaluru taluk. He inspected the amount of crop loss due to bad weather in the region.

General Secretary of Coffee Belegarara Hitarakshana Vedike Holadagadde Girish told M Chandrashekar that crop loss has been intensified due to erratic rains, as a result of which the ripen coffee could not be cultivated on time. The interest rate of loans availed by the growers from banks have increased. Hence the Coffee Board should recommend the Central Government to take necessary steps towards waiving off the crop loans. Or else, the market rate of would collapse, which will consequently have its negative impact on the coffee industry.

The Coffee Board had earlier provided pulping unit for the benefit of coffee growers. This time too, the Board has to come to the rescue by providing a subsidy of 89 per cent for two coffee drier machines in every village in the coffee growing areas.

Coffee Board General Secretary said that he has gathered information on the crop loss through officials and assured of discussing the issue with the government.

T C Hemanth Kumar, Joint Director, Coffee Board, Deputy Director Taswim Ahmed, G Thimmaraju, Shivakumaraswamy, Sathishchandra, Manjappa Gowda, Siddique, Coffee Belegarara Hitarakshana Vedike Secretary Dayananda Makodu, M E Manjunath, B R Nagaraj and T D Mallesh were present.