Hundreds of arecanut growers in the Malnad region, badly hit by the leaf-spot disease, are worried that their problem might intensify with the onset of the monsoon, expected in a few days. As scientists have not come up with a medicine to stop the spread of the disease, the growers are looking for ways to protect their farms.
Problem unabated
More than 42,000 hacteres of areca farms were affected by the fungal infection in Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, and Udupi districts. Following repeated appeals by the growers, the Central government sent a team of experts to assess the situation. The farmers followed the instructions from the Horticulture Department and applied medicines. However, the impact on the ground was minimal.
The disease brought down the income from areca plantations significantly. Many in Chikkamagaluru started looking for alternative crops as they had lost hope of protecting the decades-old plantations. Among those severely affected were growers in parts of Tirthahalli, Sringeri, Sagar, and Hosanagar taluks. The previous BJP government did provide medicine for the growers. However, according to the growers, the medicine had little impact.
Horticulture Dept.’s suggestions
The Horticulture Department has issued instructions to the growers on how to protect their plantations. The suggestions include cutting all the affected leaves and burning them, applying nutrients based on the soil test results, and applying fungicide, among others.
G.N. Prashanth, Deputy Director of the Horticulture Department in Shivamogga, told The Hindu that the department had circulated pamphlets among the growers on the steps needed to be taken to protect areca farms from the leaf-spot disease. “Last year, around 12,500 ha of areca farms in Shivamogga were affected by the disease. There are chances of plants getting affected if it rains continuously for 15–20 days,” he said.
The growers are uncertain about the impact of the medicine as the disease affected them even after following the instructions of scientists and the department last year. “Neither the Central government team nor scientists in the universities came out with a solution to the problem. We are putting pressure on the present Congress government in Karnataka to take steps to protect the growers,” said Ramesh Hegde, who is a Congress leader and an areca grower. The previous government had promised ₹10 crore for the research on the disease. The amount is yet to reach the research centre at Tirthahalli.
Larger ramifications
Many growers feel that the disease has impacted their lives in innumerable ways. “The areca merchants have stopped lending loans to growers in certain parts, which are worst-hit by the disease. Despite having a good income and a well-built house, the youths in the growers’ families are not getting alliances for marriage,” said a grower from Agumbe hobli.
