Heavy rains lashing many parts of Hassan and Chikkamagaluru districts have left the farming community concerned, besides throwing life out of gear. Growers of vegetables, cereals, pulses, and maize are worried over losing their crop due to incessant rains. The condition of coffee planters is no better as they are anxious about coffee plants contracting disease, besides dropping of flowers in the heavy showers.
“Around 10 to 15 potato growers had called up our office to inform us that their seed potatoes have become rotten,” said A.B. Sanjay, Deputy Director of Horticulture Department. In the last one month, farmers have sown potato seeds in little over 12,000 ha in the district. In fields, where sowing operation was done in the early days of May, the germination was over before the heavy rains started. “Farmers who sowed early are not worried, but those who opted for delayed sowing are worried. Seeds do not germinate when the moisture is high,” the official said. The department has sent officials to the field to assess the situation. “We need a couple of more days to get the exact picture on the ground,” he added.
This has been the problem with all other crops as well. Since June 1, Hassan district received 143.8 mm of rainfall, whereas the normal expected in this period is only 40.2 mm. The departure from the normal is around 258%. On Sunday alone, the district received as high as 38.8 mm of rainfall, while the normal rainfall, as per the past records on the day was only 3.6 mm.
Parts of Sakleshpur and Alur taluks received heavy rainfall, forcing the district administration to declare holidays for schools and colleges in both the taluks. Similar was the situation in Koppa, N.R.Pura, Mudigere and Sringeri taluks of Chikkamagaluru. Chikkamagaluru district administration declared a holiday for schools and colleges there also. Chikkamagaluru district has received 202.1 mm of rainfall since June 1, against the normal rainfall of 71.3 mm. Samse Gram Panchayat in Mudigere received 291.5 mm of rainfall, which is the highest rainfall recorded in the state on Sunday.
In both the districts, coffee growers have been reaching out for assurances. “I have been receiving calls from coffee planters about the impact of rains on the plantations,” said B.S .Jairam, president of Karnataka Growers’ Federation. This is the time when coffee plants attract soft rot (kole roga) and pepper flowers drop due to heavy rains.
“If rains stop for a day, we can spray medicines to protect the crop, but it has not stopped for the last one week”, said Mr. Jairam.