HASSAN: The Karnataka Growers Federation (KGF) and the Hassan District Planters' Association (HDPA) will be holding a protest rally on September 25 in Sakleshpur to protest against the apathy of State and Union Government in addressing the problem being faced by coffee growers in Hassan, Chikmagalur and Kodagu districts. Growers have called for a Sakleshpur bandh that day to draw the attention of the concerned authorities to their problems.

Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, general secretary, KGF, N.K. Pradeep and president, HDPA, Theerthamallesh, said that a procession would be held that day and elected representatives would participate. Growers in the three districts were facing problems as the torrential rain in the last three years had damaged crops including coffee, cardamom, pepper and ginger. According to an estimate, crops worth Rs. 150 crore had been lost. While coffee had been affected to the extent of 90 per cent, cardamom and pepper wilted owing to heavy downpour, they added. The growers were facing problem from the past few years, with the pest attack and fall in the price of coffee in the international market. This was forcing them to sell their estates. The marginal rise in the price of coffee in the international market and the debt amelioration package announced by the Government last year had failed in bringing any relief to growers.

Among other problems, it was the white stem borer which had become a major cause of concern for the growers, as it consumed over 50 per cent of the Arabica plantation in the three districts. Failure on part of growers to take remedial steps would lead to complete extinction of Arabica variety, they cautioned. They said financial institutions had failed to rescue the industry from the crisis and Coffee Board, which was formed to save the interest of growers, was not making sincere efforts to protect their interests.

The leaders urged the Union Government to reduce the burden of Special Coffee Term Loan (SCTL) accounts by making them serviceable and waiving of all accumulated, serviced and capitalised interest since 1999.

They have exhorted the government to offer a one time settlement to the growers, with SCTL accounts on the basis of small and medium enterprise settlements with interest calculation at 6 per cent from 1992, as this would help growers decrease their debt burden by paying the instalment and interest every year.

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