Rain in Kodagu: Farmers worried over loss of crops

Heavy rain during the harvest season has affected the farmers in Kodagu district. Coffee growers are unable to harvest berries, while paddy growers are unable to harvest the standing crops.

The growers were expecting a good harvest of Robusta and Arabica coffee in the district. Though harvest of berries has commenced, the rain is playing spoilsport.

Owing to cloudy weather, the growers are unable to dry the pulped coffee.

Following the cloudy weather, the berries are not ripening fully. If Arabica coffee berries are not ripened, then the growers cannot pulp them. They have powder the cherry.

Though there is demand for cherry coffee, the price for cherry coffee is less. Hence, growers are incurring losses.

The incessant rain has also affected vegetable and flower cultivators in Shirangala, Hebbale and Thoranoor in Kushalnagar. The vegetables and flowers have been damaged in the rain.

Further, black pepper vines are affected with Soragu disease in Napoklu, Murnad, Virajpet, Shanivarasanthe, Kodlipet, Bhethri, Palibetta and other areas. As a result, the farmers are fearing the loss of crops.

"If the pepper vines are destroyed, then we will have to wait for four to five years to get the crop after replantation," said the farmers.

Sunil, a coffee grower from Murnad, said that the pepper vines are infected with Soragu disease. In spite of spraying insecticide, the spread of disease could not be controlled.

Harish from Shanivarasanthe said there is a good price for Arabica coffee. However, the growers are unable to reap the fruits as rain has affected the harvest.

Kodagu Rakshana Vedike president Pavan Pemmaiah said that the farmers are in distress.

The cooperative societies should give six to eight months time to the farmers to repay the loans borrowed, he said.

The farmers are struggling to repay the loans amid the Covid-19 pandemic and heavy rain. However, the cooperative societies are engaged in booking cases against farmers, alleged the Kodagu Rakshana Vedike.

Rain damages

A total of 19 cattle have lost their lives following heavy rain in the district.

As many as eight cow sheds have been damaged.

The district administration has estimated losses amounting to Rs 90 crore in the district following the heavy rain.