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The South Canara District Central Cooperative (SCDCC) Bank has urged the Karnataka Government to do a survey of farmers affected by fruit rot disease in arecanut-growing regions.
M.N. Rajendra Kumar, president of SCDCC Bank, said here that the heavy rainfall in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts during June and July made it impossible for farmers to spray copper sulphate solutions on arecanut plants.
As a result of this, many plantations in these districts have been affected by fruit rot disease. He estimated that there would be 50 per cent shortfall in the crop yield in the next harvesting season.
SCDCC Bank has extended around Rs 494 crore loans to 80,000 arecanut growers in these districts. The reduction in the crop yield would have an adverse impact on the repayment of loans taken by them, he said.
Both the horticulture and agriculture departments of Karnataka should conduct a survey of farmers affected by fruit rot disease this year. The Government should announce a special package for the farmers affected by this disease, he said.
The bank would urge the Karnataka Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, and the elected representatives from the area to help the arecanut growers in this regard, he said.
Stating that an acre of arecanut cultivation requires an investment of around Rs 60,000, Kumar said the farmers would have got around Rs 1.20 lakh returns, if the yield was good.
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