Farmers who are solely dependent on the crop, have been totally discouraged by the development.
Even though the growers have sprayed bordeaux mix to the plantation twice in between June and August, about 50 per cent of the yield has already got destroyed due to the rot disease.
“Unripe arecanuts are still falling even though I applied bordeaux mix twice. The situation in the plantation is really intolerable,” says Chennappa Gowda, an aged farmer.
The condition of any other farmer in the region is not different from that of Gowda. Now they are getting ready to go for another round of bordeaux spraying though it is a costly proposition for them.
Coffee growers
In the meantime, coffee growers are also anxious over their future since 30 to 50 per cent of their yield has already decayed due to rains.
“This time we need not go for harvesting at all,” says a grower in S K Megal, who has lost all his hopes.
The only advantage of the heavy rains is that the coffee plants are relieved of berry borers.
The growers who were expecting a loan waiver under areca-coffee special package, are now under the shock of crop loss due to incessant rains..
The common rule that the areca and coffee growers are financially healthy, has itself become a bane for them.