The Hindu : Karnataka News : Drought pushes horticulturists into debt trap

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 04, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

Drought pushes horticulturists into debt trap

By Suresh Bhat

A withered pomegranate garden at Jumnal village in Bijapur taluk.

BIJAPUR, APRIL 3. For Huchchappa Madar, a Dalit farmer from Jumnal village 12 km. from here, the caste tag did not deter him from excelling in his job. Till recently, he was a role model for many horticulturists in the region as he reaped maximum yield from his four-hectare pomegranate garden. But today he is worried as drought for the fourth consecutive year shattered his edifice.

Shortage of water coupled with bacterial blight, a fungus disease, destroyed a major portion of his pomegranate garden. Unable to clear the growing debt, he recently sold half the garden.

The case of Mr. Madar is not an exception. Most farmers in the village, once known for its export quality pomegranate, are in a similar plight. The village had 800 hectares of land under pomegranate cultivation. But now the area has shrunk to 100 hectares. Withered pomegranate plantations can be seen all around. Many farmers have uprooted the plantations, which are now used as firewood.

The tale of farmers elsewhere in the district is no different. As the nature's fury continues, there is not much hope left among them. Unlike foodgrains, horticulture requires heavy investment. Crores of rupees invested by farmers has gone down the drain as most of the plantations have withered.

M.B. Ullagaddi, president of Bijapur District Pomegranate Growers Association, said the horticulturists have been trapped in the vicious circle of debt. Apart from waiving interest on loans, the Government should direct banks not to recover premium amount till the condition of farmers is improves, he added.

Rs. 280 crores lost

Sources in the Department of Horticulture told The Hindu that the production of horticulture produce, including lemon, pomegranate and grapes, has come down by 2.7 lakh tonnes. The revenue loss is estimated at Rs. 280 crores. Of this, the share of high value crops such grapes, pomegranates and lemon alone is Rs. 240 crores.

Before 2000, farmers said, the area of horticulture was 52,870 hectares but it came down to 24,770 hectares last year. And in one year, the area has shrunk at least by 40 per cent. If the district fails to get an early spell of rains, they fear, another 20 per cent of plantations will wither. The area of pomegranates withered is 2,925 hectares while 1,870 hectares of grapevines has been lost. Lemon is lost on 2,930 hectares.

Mr. Ullagaddi sees an urgent need for the Government's intervention. As most of the internal sources of water have dried up, farmers are trying to transport water from far away places. The Government must bear the cost of water transportation, he added.

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