Daijiworld Media Network - Madikeri (SP)

Madikeri, Feb 7: First rainfall of this year was experienced in several parts of Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru districts on Wednesday February 6. As the rainfall brought respite from heat, people naturally felt happy.

Madikeri got drizzle in the evening while areas around Napoklu got normal rainfall. Mudigere, N R Pura and some villages around Koppa in Chikkamagaluru district also got some rain.

Even though the rainfall made other happy, coffee growers are upset at the prospects of the coffee harvest spread out in the courtyards for drying getting wet. Rain also causes ripe pepper to fall off the vines to the ground and result in losses for growers.

Malnad region was experiencing cloudy weather since the last two to three days, but no one expected rain to appear. Ran coupled with thunder which Napoklu and nearby areas got on Wednesday afternoon therefore made the coffee, pepper growers worried.

Kodagu used to get first rain of the year during March or April. These rains were welcome as they helped coffee plants to grow. But this time rain appeared when the growers are still in the final phase of the current season, and gave rise to tense situation for them.