Scanty rain sows seeds of misery for growers of food, cash crops in Karnataka

Cracked paddy fields and dried up seedlings are a common sight in the paddy-growing areas of Dakshina Kannada (DK), Udupi, Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru districts this kharif season. Growers have attributed the withering of crops to delayed and scanty rainfall.

Coffee growers report that lack of rain is leading to scorched coffee berries and infestation in plantations in Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru districts. Black pepper, arecanut and vegetable cultivation have taken a hit too.

“The delay in monsoon hit the transplantation of paddy seedlings and sowing. Paddy requires good rainfall for the growth of saplings. With deficit rainfall, farmers have to pump water from available water sources to save the crop,” says paddy grower Manohar Shetty from Kuppepadavu. However, groundwater levels are also a concern this year due to sporadic rains.  

Though DK and Udupi districts have been receiving sporadic rains after September 5, it will take a while for groundwater to be replenished. There should be more rains to improve the water table, says Shetty.

34% deficit in DK

DK agriculture department joint director Kempe Gowda said the district received a
deficit rainfall of 34 per cent from June till the first week of September.

Farmers are struggling to save the crop, says Satyanarayana Udupa, general secretary of Udupi Bharatiya Kisan Sangha.

“Udupi district has 38,000 hectares of land under paddy cultivation. The deficit rainfall has damaged crops. The paddy saplings have turned yellowish in some areas,” he says.

Kodagu district has registered around 46 per cent deficit rains from June to September and the transplantation of paddy seedlings has not been taken up fully due to this.

The target was to take up sowing of paddy on 29,000 hectares this season. But so far, sowing has only been completed on 18,117 hectares. 

In Chikkamagaluru district, the target during kharif season was to sow urad dal, green gram, cowpea, sunflower, groundnut, ragi, maize and paddy on 98,350 hectares.

Vegetables hit too

However, sowing has been taken up on 75,411 hectares till the first week of September due to deficit rainfall. Also, cultivation of potato, onion, tomato and green chilli has been affected by delayed monsoon in the district.

Coffee belt

The deficit rainfall has affected coffee, black pepper and coconut plantations as well. Coffee is cultivated on 1,06,921 hectares in Kodagu and 90,000 hectares in Chikkamagaluru district. 

“Without rain, berry borer disease has infested coffee berries in several plantations. Due to the scorching sun, the berries have turned black. The growers could also not use fertilisers due to lack of rainfall,” says Jayaram, former president of Karnataka Growers Federation.

Scorching sun

The growth of coffee berries is affected due to deficit rainfall. The plantations are witnessing unmatured ripening of the berries due to scanty rainfall and scorching sun.

The entire economy of coffee-growing districts of Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan will be affected  by this, says Mudigere taluk growers association president Balakrishna Balur.

Owing to intense heat, ‘premature button shedding’ (the dropping of young coconut) is being witnessed in many coconut groves, said Satyanarayana Udupa.

“The deficit rain has also affected black pepper cultivation. Rainwater plays a major role in the pollination of pepper plants. Due to lack of rain, there was no proper sprouting of spikes and the spikes that appeared have no peppercorns,” said farmer A P Sadashiv.

Though arecanut growers are not affected by deficit rainfall at the moment, they will feel the heat when they have to irrigate the plantations in November-December, says all India areca grower’s association secretary Mahesh Puchchappady.