The Hindu : Karnataka News : Rs. 300 cr. loss in grape growing areas

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Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Rs. 300 cr. loss in grape growing areas

Special Correspondent

Farmers say it is Rs. 500 crore which includes loss of exports

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

A CONTRAST: Unlike this farmer whose vineyard has seen abundance, grape growers elsewhere are facing losses due to unseasonal rain early this year.

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.

Only 20 containers

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.

Maximum loss

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 in terms of money, association general secretary K.H. Mumbareddy told that the farmers have lost not less than Rs. 30 crore to Rs. 35 crore in export.

He said due to the rain, many vineyards in the grape growing belt have suffered structural damage and these vineyards may not be ready for the next crop.

Memorandum

In the memorandum presented to the government, the association has stated that 80 per cent of grapes are harvested in March and the leftover in April. For the last six years, due to drought in the region, the growers had suffered losses. Only in a few organised vineyards in Attibele near Hosur, Devanahalli and Tumkur the farmers were able to lay drip irrigation facility.

Those growers who have planted hardy varieties such as Anabsha and Bangalore Blue were able to save the crop from losses despite the untimely rain. Devanna of Attibele near Hosur was happy that his vineyard did not suffer damage in the rain. He said those who had local hardy variety were able to harvest their crop in full.

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