Officials conduct crop loss survey in Gonikoppa

Officials from the Coffee Board, departments of horticulture, agriculture and revenue conducted a joint survey to assess the loss of crops due to untimely rainfall, in the Birunani region.

The government has directed the departments to submit a report after conducting the survey.

The officials inspected the damaged coffee, pepper, areca, paddy and plantain crops and recorded the losses.

Officials A P Meera, Sunil Kumar, Prasad and H Santosh were present.

More losses have occurred compared to last year, the farmers said and expressed their displeasure against the delay in providing compensation.

The officials should provide the accurate figure of losses to the government, said the growers.

Kodagu Growers' Federation secretary Annira Harish Madappa, Poraduru Gram Panchayat president Miderira Manjunath and members were present.

Coffee crops lost

Due to heavy rain, coffee crops that were ready to be harvested are lost, in Suntikoppa.

The growers were not able to harvest the coffee. The ripe coffee berries are withering from the plants.

Even though there is a good market price for coffee, the growers are not benefited from the same.

Arabica coffee is cultivated on 6,660 hectares and Robusta is grown on 3,830 hectares in the region.

Owing to continuous rainfall in Suntikoppa hobli, coffee berries have been lost in Sridevi, Panya, Bettageri, Haraduru, Nakuru, Kedakal, Haleri, Kodagarahalli and Kambibane.

Lakshman, a writer from Sridevi plantation, Suntikoppa, said that even though some growers have harvested coffee, they are unable to dry them as there is no sunshine. This has resulted in a loss.

In small plantations, there is a shortage of labourers and the production cost has increased. The government should pay attention to the misery of coffee growers, he said.

Narasimha, a coffee grower from Suntikoppa said that the incessant rain has caused harm to paddy, pepper and ginger crops as well.