The Hindu

Mangalore, Jun 6: The high price of copper sulphate, which is used along with lime to fight the "kole roga'' (fruit rot disease) in areca nut plantations, is worrying the farmers in Dakshina Kannada.

Copper sulphate is a major ingredient of liquid preventive against the fruit rot disease, especially during rainy season.

According to All India Areca Nut Growers' Association president Manchi Srinivasa Achar, the price of copper sulphate had shot up to Rs. 180 a kg last year from the earlier price of Rs. 75 kg.

He told The Hindu that about 50,000 families, including small and marginal farmers, were engaged in areca nut cultivation in Dakshina Kannada district.

Key ingredient

The copper sulphate mixture is required to be sprayed on areca nut bunches at least twice between June and August.

The spraying may have to be repeated, depending on the severity of the disease.

Mr. Achar said copper sulphate sprayer was used for several other field and plantation crops that were prone to different kinds of "kole roga", including the root rot disease.

It is feared that spurious and adulterated copper sulphate might hit the market, if the price continues to rise. It happened last year when many farmers suffered as the mixture with spurious copper sulphate failed to arrest the rot.

Ramesh K., a farmer near Mani, said the daily wage of skilled workers, who climbed the areca nut trees for spraying the mixture, had shot up to Rs. 300.

Farmers had to pay Rs. 160 a kg for copper sulphate. But the price of areca nut in the district ranged from Rs. 65 to Rs. 75 a kg.

Hence, areca was no longer a lucrative crop.

Tough days ahead

Mr. Ramesh said the price of copper sulphate would rise further as farmers would start spraying it this month.

Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative Ltd. (CAMPCO) has said that it was selling copper sulphate of two varieties priced at Rs. 135 a kg and Rs. 145 a kg to its members.