mangalore today

Freak rains cause distress to farmers in W ghats


Mangalore Today News Network

Kalasa, Dec 10, 2014:   Farmers in W ghats are troubled as untimely rains have been falling the region in the last two days. They fear that the untimely rain during the processing of red arecanut would affect the colour and standard of the arecanut. Meanwhile, the reaping of Arabica coffee has been started and coffee fruits have started falling. The rain also become an obtstacle to start the reaping of Robusta coffee.


Freak-rains

 

The harvested paddy sheaves have soaked in rain water both on Monday and Tuesday. Farmers also are worried that the rain would affect the sheaves which are yet to be harvested. However, farmers say that the rain may prove good both for coffee and paddy cultivation for the next season.

Heavy rains resulted in loss crop worth lakhs of rupees at Balehonnur and nearby areas on Tuesday afternoon. Balehonnur, Magundi, Bannoor and other areas received rains for more than one hour, affecting the harvested paddy sheaves. The processing of arecanut has also been affected by the rains at Malnad. Seegodu, Heroor and nearby areas received light rains. Vehicle owners had to struggle because of the untimely rains.

In Mudigere, the dream of farmers of bumper cultivation has been vanished as paddy sheaves were destroyed by heavy, untimely rains on Monday. While Kasaba received 2.7 mm rain, Kalasa- 5.2, Javali- 6, Kottigehara and Banakal received 13.6 mm rain. Paddy sheaves were ready to harvest, but now because of rain the paddy sheaves are in the ground and farmers are worried of losing the crop.  The situation in general is grim.