JOIN USCoffee growers In Kodagu fear loss of crops
Due to an increase in the moisture content in the atmosphere following incessant rainfall in Kodagu district, unripe coffee berries are withering from the plants.
The withering of berries has raised concern among the growers.
The market price of Arabica and Robusta coffee beans had increased last year, due to a decline in production. This year too, heavy rain will result in the loss of crops, say the growers.
Even though the intensity of rain has come down, Bhagamandala, Cherambane, Bakka, Kolakeri, Srimangala, Ponnampet and Madapura regions have received more than the average rainfall.
Manu Somaiah from Cherambane said that the coffee plantations in the vicinity of the banks of Rivers Cauvery and Lakshmanateertha were flooded. This might result in the spoiling of the plants.
‘Herculean task’
He further said that the cultivation of coffee has become a herculean task amid heavy rain, white stem borer disease and wild elephant menace haunting the growers.
It is very difficult to retain the coffee crop till November-December when it is ready for harvest, he said.
Manoj, a planter from Somwarpet said that the incessant rainfall during the last several years has snatched away the confidence of farmers.
The gusty winds have resulted in the uprooting of trees in the plantation. The farmers used to utilise these wild trees for house construction. The erratic rain pattern has changed the lives of farmers, he said.
Rain damage
Forty-seven houses have collapsed and six cattle have died due to the recent rain in the district.
An elderly man was washed away in the floods, said Additional Deputy Commissioner Raju Mogaveera.
Officials said that the survey of road damages and crop loss is being carried out in the district.