Tag Archives: North Kodagu

Rs 19.05 crore reserved for subsidy from Coffee Board in Kodagu

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Coffee Board, India (wef. Nov 17, 2021), Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), , , , , , , , ,

Kodagu grows coffee across 1197 sq km area and the district contributes to 35 per cent of the country’s coffee production.

Representational Image/ File Photo

Madikeri :

Even as the central government has released Rs 307.80 crore to the Coffee Board of India, funds have been reserved to extend subsidies to the coffee growers. In Kodagu, Rs 19.05 crore fund is reserved for the subsidy scheme and the growers can apply for the same before September 30.

Kodagu grows coffee across 1197 sq km area and the district contributes to 35 per cent of the country’s coffee production. However, the coffee growers in the district, especially the small growers, have become victims of the changing weather patterns and have incurred losses in the past.

While the Coffee Board extended subsidies to the growers through various schemes, the same ended in 2017 due to some financial implications. Nevertheless, the subsidies have resumed from last year.

In 2023-24, the Board extended subsidy for re-plantation of coffee crops and irrigation facilities including the establishment of ring wells, open wells, drip irrigation or sprinklers to all the growers alongside subsidy for construction of drying yard and godown to growers from the SC-ST category. Nevertheless, with more funds being released to the Board this year, additional subsidies are being extended to the growers from the Board.

“This year, a subsidy is being released for machinery purchase and for the establishment of a pulping unit alongside irrigation and re-plantation work. The subsidy for the establishment of a drying yard or godown has been extended to all the growers this year,” confirmed Dr V Chandrashekar, DD (Extension), Madikeri.

Further, with an aim to promote the education of the kids of the coffee labourers and workers, the Board will provide scholarships to the children of coffee labourers and coffee workers. “Scholarships will be extended to the students pursuing first PUC, first-year degree and for professional courses. The students must be children of coffee labourers or coffee workers including kids of labourers in coffee curing works,” he explained.

He added that the Rs 9.5 crore fund is reserved for subsidies for growers from the General category in the South Kodagu Gonikoppal extension. Similarly, Rs 5 lakh has been reserved for SC category growers and Rs 1 crore for ST category growers in the Gonikoppal extension. For North Kodagu growers, Rs 8.5 crore has been reserved for the subsidies. The growers eligible for the subsidies can submit an application to the Board before September 30.

The extension of the subsidy scheme is welcomed by the growers of the district even as Dr Kaverappa, former VP of the Coffee Board, urged the officials to continue the subsidies throughout the year. Meanwhile, the Coffee Board officials are conducting a joint survey alongside revenue and agricultural departments of the crop loss across heavy rainfall areas in the district and a report on the extension of the damage will be submitted to the district administration shortly.  

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Karnataka / by Prajna G R / August 28th, 2024

Giant African Snails haunt the estates of North Kodagu

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Green Initiatives / Environment, Records, All, , , , , ,

“During pre-monsoon, I spotted a couple of Giant African Snails on coffee plants and I got rid of them.

Giant African Snails feed on leaves and a branch of coffee plants in Handli village
Giant African Snails feed on leaves and a branch of coffee plants in Handli village

Madikeri : 

With the arrival of the monsoon, coffee growers of Handli village near Shanivarasanthe in north Kodagu are fighting a harmful invasive species. The Giant African Snails have invaded a majority of the estates in the village with coffee growers struggling to rid the estates of these pests.

“During pre-monsoon, I spotted a couple of Giant African Snails on coffee plants and I got rid of them. Now, there is an army of these pests and they are destroying my crops — coffee, pepper vines and plantains,” Suresh Babu, a coffee grower, told TNIE. 

The snails feed on stems, leaves and creepers. The farmers rued that the snails multiply quickly and there seems to be no solution in sight to get rid of them. “We are now hiring labourers to remove these snails from the plants. However, this is a disgusting job and we have to pay extra to labourers. A majority of the labourers do not want to take up this task as these snails are slimy,” said Kumar, another grower. 

The residents explained that the attacks from these snails across estates have been reported every year during the wet season for five years now.  While the government provided some compensation and remedy during the previous years, it is not the case now, said another coffee grower.   

“There needs to be a scientific solution to this problem.  Coffee Board scientists have to come up with a permanent solution to rid the estates of these snails even as government support to the affected growers is the need of the hour,” concluded Kumar.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Prajna GR, Express News Service / June 12th, 2023