Growers go for alternative to dry coffee berries

Following the incessant rainfall in the district, the worried coffee growers have sought other ways to dry the berries.

With no sunshine in the region for days together, growers in Nelaji, Ballamavati, Pulikotu, Kunjila and Kakkabbe regions have discovered an alternative measure to dry the coffee berries they have harvested during the last few days.

The growers have been using fire to dry coffee berries. A similar method is used to dry cardamom.

Generally, eight to 10 days of sunshine is required for drying coffee. But, currently, there is no dry weather and the growers are not able to dry Arabica coffee.

In order to save the coffee berries from rotting, the growers have been spreading coffee berries on iron meshes and placing the mesh on a fireplace.

Growers are of the opinion that the method is suitable for a small amount of coffee beans.

Coffee grower Vikram said that the workers are not able to work in the plantations due to the increased humidity.

Migrant labourers had come to the district for coffee harvesting work. But, they did not get work due to rain.

A coffee grower from Napoklu, Ramesh Muddaiah, said that increase in the humidity has resulted in rot disease in pepper as well. Coffee growers who have grown pepper as an alternative crop have suffered losses.