Damage will leave you deprived of Kodagu oranges

BENGALURU: The heavy rains and landslides in Kodagu will deprive you of the delicious oranges this season as the calamity has destroyed the cultivation. And even if the oranges are available, the price could leave a bitter taste in your mouth. There are more than 1,500 orange growers in Kodagu and most of them grow it as a secondary crop in their coffee estates. The recent floods have damaged many estates, severely affecting the orange yield.

Rama Rao, who owns 20 acres at Gaalibeedu near Madikeri, said they used to grow around 50 tonnes of oranges every year. “This is the season when flowers turn into fruits. But, due to heavy rains, the crop has been severely damaged. I have spent more than Rs 50,000 on fertilisers and others,” he said.
Subbiah from Ibnivalavadi village, who owns 14 acres, said the trees in his land were uprooted following heavy rains. “It is difficult to grow oranges again here. I will not get any yield this year. My hard work and money is gone,” he said. These growers have not insured their crops.

Hemanth Kumar, Secretary to Kodagu Orange Growers Association, said, “Orange is a seasonal fruit which normally comes to market between November and February.”

“Oranges grown here are bigger in size, each weighing around 200 grams. They are priced at `30 per kg for poor quality fruits and `100 per kg for good quality. But this year we seem to have lost most of the crop and with lesser yield, the price of oranges may cross `200 per kg,’’ he said.

Basavarajappa, Assistant Director of Horticulture Department, Kodagu, said, “State government has agreed to provide compensation and we are conducting a survey to assess crop damage.”
Around 50 years ago, Kodagu oranges were grown in over more than 24,000 hectares, which has now come down to just 8,000 hectares.