MANGALORE: The arecanut growers in Dakshina Kannada are facing dearth of skilled labourers to work in their plantations forcing them to search for labourers in neighbouring villages on higher wages.

According to the All India Areca Growers' Association, skilled labourers are required to manually climb palms to spray copper sulphate mixture to control "kole roga" (fruit rot disease). Farmers are entirely dependent on them as control of "kole roga" determines the annual arecanut yield. They also manually climb palms and pluck arecanut bunches during the harvest season. The available skilled workers demand daily wages of Rs. 200 to Rs. 250.

According to Shree Padre, founder editor of "Adike Pathrike," the entire agriculture sector in the State is facing a dearth of agricultural labourers. The migration of youth from villages to urban areas in search of jobs has contributed to the dearth of skilled labourers. Though skilled workers can earn good income, the youngsters are not willing to work in villages, said Manchi Srinivasa Achar, president, All India Areca Growers' Association. In 1993, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, introduced farm equipment enabling farmers to spray copper sulphate mixture from the ground without climbing the palms.

hey also started an areca grower's research fund to finance the project. But the authorities involved in the project were transferred and the project had to be abandoned.

The farmers themselves devised equipment to spray the mixture.

For example: Philip D'Souza of Vitla in 1999 made an equipment capable of spraying mixture upto 30 ft. Annu Saphalya, Ambika Engineering Works, Puttur, devised an equipment in 1999 capable of spraying upto 35 ft. But they did not receive any support from the government.

Now the farmers are searching for more user-friendly equipment that can enable them to spray the mixture without depending on skilled labourers.

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