arecanut crop loss due to fungus disease

Mangalore, Aug 23 (UNI) A Fungus disease,'budrot' has devasted the aerca crop Dakshina Kannada District of Karnataka with the loss estimated at over Rs.90 crore.

Nearly 42 per cent of the crop had been destroyed completely due to the disease, locally known as Koleroga even as the farmers were recovering from a slight increase in the prices of arecanut last year.

Arecanut contributed to nearly 50 per cent of the agriculture produce in the district.

According to Mr Vigneshwara Varmudi, economic professor in the Vivekananda College in Puttur in the District who had compiled the statistics based on the survey he conducted of small, medium and large farmers in all five taluks of the district, the budrot disease also known as Mahali had severe impact on the arecanut crop causing extensive damage. The report indicted that the small farmers were worst affected when compared to the large farmers. If no remedial steps were taken soon, the loss would mount further, he indicatead.

The survey conducted on 100 farmers from each five taluks, indicated that there was an increse in the yield of arecanut, but at the same time the loss due to the disease was as high as 70 per cent in some parts of the district.

The report suggested timely and adequate supply of copper sulphate and lime at the subsidised rate to the farmers to control and further spread of the disease. It had also emphesised the urgent need for a detailed survey of the loss in the district.

Meanwhile, the growers have decided to submit a memorandum to Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on August 29. a meeting of the arecanut growers had been convened on the same day to discuss the problems of the growers. The growers have also decided to launch protest if the government failed to come to their rescue by November One.

UNI