Karnataka which produces more than 70 per cent of the nation’s coffee is witnessing a storm in the cup. The aftermath of nature’s fury in Kodagu, the coffee land, destroyed coffee plantations which has affected the production and coffee growers are staring at a bleak future.
The widespread destruction of coffee across the hill district of Kodagu and part of Chikkamagaluru has put the farmers in hardship and requires many years to normalise situation.
According to available statistics Karnataka alone produced 2.22 lakh tonnes, or 70 per cent, of the national production of 3.16 lakh tonnes in 2017-18. It’s followed by Kerala that contributes 20 per cent and Tamilnadu 5 five per cent to the national production.
The preliminary damage assessment has come up with a combined figure of 82,000 tonnes of coffee beans destroyed in three southern States, with the maximum loss in Karnataka.
According to Coffee Board director of research Y Raghuramulu in Karnataka’s hill district Kodagu alone 1500 hectares of coffee plantations has been affected badly due to landslides and heavy rains.
“The soft soil has been washed away in many areas our teams visited. Entire crops have been lost in many areas making it a long-term impact,” he said adding many areas would take around 10 years to grow new crops. He said “Only the final damage assessment that is underway will give us a clear picture of the loss, which could be more than our initial estimate.”
According to coffee board sources many teams of experts are currently working in Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru making the assessment that would help evaluate the quantum of compensation to the farmers.
For Coffee growers in these parts it’s from heaven to hell situation. They are worried over its long impact on the economy of coffee growing which in turn affects individual grower.
BS Jairam, president of Karnataka Growers’ Federation said “but for some heavy rainfall and related landslides in the early 1960s, we have never witnessed this kind of crop loss.”
According to him the preliminary assessment on the part of the planters point at Rs 1,500 crore crop losses in Kodagu, Hassan and Chikmagaluru districts.
“Kodagu suffered the most as many estates have been destroyed. We don’t even know the condition of many plantations as they were cut off when roads got destroyed in landslides,” said Jairam who owns a plantation in Sakleshpura in neighbouring Hassan district.
Seventeen of the 28 villages in Kodagu have been badly hit by the disaster. “At least a 3000 people (mostly farm workers) are still in relief camps in Kodagu,” he said.
While Karnataka’s share of the Indian coffee sector stands around 70 per cent, plantations in Kodagu alone has a share of 40 per cent of the national production.
Kodagu alone produced 19,550 tonnes of Arabica and 97,000 tonnes of Robusta in 2017-18.
CK Belliappa, secretary of Codagu Planters’ Association said that the even the preliminary assessment points at the worst ever loss of production. He says the farmers are staring at the biggest loss ever due to the fury of rains.