Daijiworld Media Network - Shivamogga (MS)

Shivamogga, Aug 2: The arecanut growers of Malnad are in trouble once again. At one end, they are not getting suitable price for their crop, on the other the crops are hit with various diseases during the monsoon season. The farmers are urging the government to give them compensation in addition to the support price for their crop.

Arecanut farming is the traditional crop of Malnad area of the state. In the district of Shivamogga, though there is no copious amount of rain, slight rain is falling since the past two months. Due to this, the moisture content in the weather is getting increased and causing various diseases like rotting disease, yellow leaf disease, Kandakoraka and Boodi disease.

Earlier, these disease were limited only to Theerthahalli, Sagar and Hosanagara area of the district. But this year rotting disease has spread throughout the district. The trees are getting dried up due to the disease. The farmer community is expressing rage over the agriculture department and government saying that they have utterly failed to guide them.

The government has to step forward and come to the aid of arecanut farmers. Though the farmers are trying their level best to preserve the crop, they are not able to do so. The cost of maintaining the arecanut farms has shot up due to this.

The arecanut growers are urging the government to provide suitable support price for their crop and also establish a state-of-the-art arecanut research centre to find out the cause for the various diseases that affect their produce.