The Hindu : Karnataka News : Rs. 300 crore loss in grape growing areas due to rain

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Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Rs. 300 crore loss in grape growing areas due to rain

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: Unseasonal rain in March has devastated the grape crop in the State.

The losses have been put at Rs. 300 crore in the traditional grape growing areas by the Horticulture Department. But the growers have put the losses at Rs. 500 crore in the State which includes loss of export volumes.

In another scenario, 30 per cent of vines have suffered extensive damage making them unavailable for the next crop and another 20 per cent of vines will be able to produce only 50 per cent of the crop in the next season. According to president of the Karnataka Grape Growers Association B.M. Kokare, who spoke to The Hindu from Bijapur, “the State used to export 150 containers of table variety of grapes to the U.K. and Europe and this time, only 20 containers were sent.” Each container carried 16 tonnes of grapes at Rs. 110 to 120 per kg at London Supermarket rates.

The maximum losses had been suffered by growers in Bellary, Humnabad, Koppal, Gadag, Belgaum, Tumkur, Bangalore, Doddaballapur, Devanahalli and Bagalkot where the table varieties of Thomson seedless, Clone-2 and Thash E Ganesh are grown. Quantifying the loss of export volumes, association general secretary K.H. Mumbareddy told the farmers have lost not less than Rs. 30 crore.

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