Farmers expect good yield in coffee, pepper

With the monsoon in progress, the farmers are expecting a good yield in coffee and pepper.

The farmers cultivate commercial crops like coffee, pepper, banana and cardamom.

Paddy farmers depend on the monsoon for paddy cultivation. The farmers cultivate paddy using the water from Harangi and Chiklihole reservoirs.

With the release of water from the Harangi dam, the farmers in the catchment area have completed the transplantation of paddy seedlings.

However, the area under paddy cultivation is on a decline, with the farmers converting fields into coffee plantations. Heavy rain in the last three years had damaged crops.

"This year we had received average rainfall for the crops and we are expecting a good yield," said farmers.

Only in a few areas, coffee beans had started withering initially, following incessant rainfall. Normally, heavy rainfall in Soorlabbi, Garvale, Shanthalli, Kota Betta, Mukkodlu, Iggodlu and Madapura damages crops every year.

Growers cultivate Arabica coffee in Somwarpet, Shanthalli and Kodlipete area while Robusta coffee is cultivated on large scale in South Kodagu.

The receding rainfall has brought a smile to the faces of farmers cultivating black pepper.

"The expenditure on cultivating black pepper is less. We are expecting a good yield following good showers. We will be benefited if the price also remains stable," said farmers.

The farmers in Handli, Bellaralli, Kodlipet and Shanivarasanthe grow vegetables, green chilli, radish, ginger, okra, marigold and sell them in markets at Hassan, Arkalgud and Holenarasipura.

14.50 hectares damaged

According to officials, crops on 14.50 hectares of land has been damaged in the district during the year. This includes 9.20 hectares of agriculture crops in Virajpet. The survey on the crop damage is in progress.

Rainfall statistics for Kodagu

Year Rainfall

2018 411 cm

2019 318 cm

2020 228 cm

2021 193 cm (till Aug 16)

The area under cultivation in the district (agriculture crops, horticulture crops, coffee)

Madikeri - 40,689 hectares

Somwarpet - 43,853 hectares

Virajpet - 77,676 hectares