<p class="title">Heavy rain during the harvest season has affected the farmers in Kodagu district. Coffee growers are unable to harvest berries, while paddy growers are unable to harvest the standing crops.</p>.<p class="title">The growers were expecting a good harvest of Robusta and Arabica coffee in the district. Though harvest of berries has commenced, the rain is playing spoilsport.</p>.<p class="title">Owing to cloudy weather, the growers are unable to dry the pulped coffee.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Following the cloudy weather, the berries are not ripening fully. If Arabica coffee berries are not ripened, then the growers cannot pulp them. They have powder the cherry.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Though there is demand for cherry coffee, the price for cherry coffee is less. Hence, growers are incurring losses.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The incessant rain has also affected vegetable and flower cultivators in Shirangala, Hebbale and Thoranoor in Kushalnagar. The vegetables and flowers have been damaged in the rain.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Further, black pepper vines are affected with Soragu disease in Napoklu, Murnad, Virajpet, Shanivarasanthe, Kodlipet, Bhethri, Palibetta and other areas. As a result, the farmers are fearing the loss of crops.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"If the pepper vines are destroyed, then we will have to wait for four to five years to get the crop after replantation," said the farmers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sunil, a coffee grower from Murnad, said that the pepper vines are infected with Soragu disease. In spite of spraying insecticide, the spread of disease could not be controlled.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Harish from Shanivarasanthe said there is a good price for Arabica coffee. However, the growers are unable to reap the fruits as rain has affected the harvest.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Kodagu Rakshana Vedike president Pavan Pemmaiah said that the farmers are in distress.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The cooperative societies should give six to eight months time to the farmers to repay the loans borrowed, he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The farmers are struggling to repay the loans amid the Covid-19 pandemic and heavy rain. However, the cooperative societies are engaged in booking cases against farmers, alleged the Kodagu Rakshana Vedike.</p>.<p><strong>Rain damages</strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">A total of 19 cattle have lost their lives following heavy rain in the district. </p>.<p class="bodytext">As many as eight cow sheds have been damaged.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The district administration has estimated losses amounting to Rs 90 crore in the district following the heavy rain.</p>
<p class="title">Heavy rain during the harvest season has affected the farmers in Kodagu district. Coffee growers are unable to harvest berries, while paddy growers are unable to harvest the standing crops.</p>.<p class="title">The growers were expecting a good harvest of Robusta and Arabica coffee in the district. Though harvest of berries has commenced, the rain is playing spoilsport.</p>.<p class="title">Owing to cloudy weather, the growers are unable to dry the pulped coffee.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Following the cloudy weather, the berries are not ripening fully. If Arabica coffee berries are not ripened, then the growers cannot pulp them. They have powder the cherry.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Though there is demand for cherry coffee, the price for cherry coffee is less. Hence, growers are incurring losses.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The incessant rain has also affected vegetable and flower cultivators in Shirangala, Hebbale and Thoranoor in Kushalnagar. The vegetables and flowers have been damaged in the rain.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Further, black pepper vines are affected with Soragu disease in Napoklu, Murnad, Virajpet, Shanivarasanthe, Kodlipet, Bhethri, Palibetta and other areas. As a result, the farmers are fearing the loss of crops.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"If the pepper vines are destroyed, then we will have to wait for four to five years to get the crop after replantation," said the farmers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sunil, a coffee grower from Murnad, said that the pepper vines are infected with Soragu disease. In spite of spraying insecticide, the spread of disease could not be controlled.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Harish from Shanivarasanthe said there is a good price for Arabica coffee. However, the growers are unable to reap the fruits as rain has affected the harvest.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Kodagu Rakshana Vedike president Pavan Pemmaiah said that the farmers are in distress.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The cooperative societies should give six to eight months time to the farmers to repay the loans borrowed, he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The farmers are struggling to repay the loans amid the Covid-19 pandemic and heavy rain. However, the cooperative societies are engaged in booking cases against farmers, alleged the Kodagu Rakshana Vedike.</p>.<p><strong>Rain damages</strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">A total of 19 cattle have lost their lives following heavy rain in the district. </p>.<p class="bodytext">As many as eight cow sheds have been damaged.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The district administration has estimated losses amounting to Rs 90 crore in the district following the heavy rain.</p>