Budrot devastates areca crop in Dakshina Kannada

Mangalore, Aug 23 (UNI) A fungal disease, 'budrot' has devasted the areca crop, in Dakshina Kannada district here, incurring a loss of 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, which contributes nearly 50 per cent of the agriculture produce in the district.

According to Vivekananda College (Puttur district) Economic Professor Vigneshwara Varmudi, who had compiled the statistics based on a survey conducted among small, medium and large scale 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 indicated that the small scale farmers were worst affected If no remedial steps were taken soon, the loss would mount further, he indicated.

The survey indicated that though there was an increase in the yield of arecanut, the disease, which was widely spread across the district, had destroyed a majority of the crop.

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

Meanwhile, the growers 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 their problems.

The growers had decided to launch a protest if the government failed to come to their rescue by November one.

UNI