Wild animals give sleepless nights to farmers

The farmers are spending sleepless nights guarding their coconut, arecanut and paddy crops in various parts of Sringeri taluk.

Wild animals continue to raid and destroy farms near forest fringes. Saving the crops from wild animals has become a challenge for the farmers. A troop of 10 to 20 monkeys, wild boars, peacocks, porcupines and bisons stray into the farms and destroy the crops cultivated by the farmers.

Monkeys eat away the tender arecanuts and bunches of banana. While porcupine damage the roots of banana plants, arecanut and coconut trees. The vegetables cultivated by the farmers are also eaten away by the monkeys.

The normal methods used by the farmers to scare away the wild animals are no longer effective these days. The wild animals have become accustomed to the sight of fire, bursting of firecrackers and beatings of the drums. They raid the fields fearlessly, farmers said.

The rise in monkey menace has made the farmers to worry over their crops. There has been an increase in the bison menace in a few parts of the taluk. The wild animals have also destroyed standing paddy crops.

“The wild animals menace and shortage of labourers have forced the farmers to move away from agriculture. The government should find a permanent solution to the problems faced by the farmers. In spite of bringing the issue of bison menace to the notice of the forest department, no measures have been taken to check the menace,” said Raitha Sangha President Kanolli Chandrashekar.

Progressive farmer Chandrashekar Kalkuli said, “Farmers have moved towards chemical fertilisers. With the shortage of labourers, the dairy farming has seen a setback. Several farmers have stopped using organic manure or ‘Hatti Gobbara’ for the arecanut plantations. Wild animals have been straying into the farmland and destroying
crops.”

Farmer Ramesh Bhat Kodathalu said, ‘The proposal to set up a monkey park is a good decision taken up by the state government. Such monkey park should be set up in all the districts.”