Coffee plantation severely declines in Kodagu

Kodagu: A huge variation in the weather conditions has caused an adverse effect on coffee plantation throughout the state. The coffee plants look very plain and the workers are literally in search of beans throughout the estates.

Coffee plantation is the main occupation in the Malnad region of Karnataka. The coffee is grown mainly in the border areas of Virajpet taluk like Titimati, Devarapuram, Konanakatte, Sulugodu, Balele, Ponnappasanthe, Vayamudi near Gonikoppal, Nallur, Kirugooru, Besagooru and other areas.

Every year in the month of January, the coffee beans would be spread in every yard of the houses in the district but this time the planters are hardly fining any beans to fill the sacks. The planters have said that this year is the worst condition due to severe decrease in the rainfall last year.

As there was no humid in the land this year, coffee plants have nor borne any beans. In few areas, though the plant had flowered they did not grow into fruits. Therefore there is a heavy shrink in the crop this year.

Because of fall in the crop this year, the planters are finding it difficult to even pay wages to the labourers. Cariappa, a planter, says “Titimati region usually gets a rainfall of 50-60 inches every year and hence we used to yield more than 30-40 bags of coffee from an acre of plantation. Last year’s decline in the rainfall has caused weakening of the branches of coffee plants. This year we are only getting two to four bags of coffee beans. Though the plants had flowered in January, the flowers dropped”.

Chikkamagalur district, another coffee growing land of the state has reported a similar condition.