Karnataka - Bellary   

Chilli crop on 6,000 acres of land hit by virus in Bellary

BELLARY: Chilli crop on around 6,000 acres of land in Bellary and Siruguppa taluks has been damaged following a virus attack. The virus has been spreading to other areas and has caused heavy loss to growers.

After the undivided Dharwad district, Bellary was among the other few districts to grow chilli on a vast area. When it started fetching good prices, farmers began growing the crop on over 25,000 hectares, which became one of the major crops in the district. But, the cropped area has started diminishing over the years, when fake seeds, pesticides and fertilizers started entering the market. Now, chilli is being grown on not more than 15,000 hectares in the district.

This year, chilli grown in Kammarchedu, Shankarbande, Yerrangli, Siddamanhalli and Kolur villages in Bellary taluk and some villages in Siruguppa taluk were affected owing to virus attack. The attack had affected the roots of the crop, causing enormous damage to the yield. As against an anticipated average yield of around 15 to 20 quintals an acre, only five

quintals an acre have been harvested. Some farmers have replaced the virus-affected crop with jowar to minimise the loss.

G. Karunakar Reddy, Bellary MP, who went around villages where the chilli crop had been affected, said he would immediately discuss the issue with the Union Minister for Agriculture and modify the rules to provide insurance cover.

According to him, “hobli” was the established unit for calculating the crop loss, and the crop insurance premium for chilli was higher than other crops. This was not beneficial to farmers.

“I will meet the Union Agriculture Minister to discuss the issue during the winter

session of Parliament and urge the Government to consider village as the unit for estimating crop loss.

The possibility of contributions by the State towards crop insurance premiums would also be discussed”, he said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Horticulture has now announced supply of pesticides at a subsidised rate of 50 per cent to farmers.

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Chilli crop on 6,000 acres of land hit by virus in Bellary

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