Nearly 600 farmers have already gathered at the Bull Temple Road, Basavanagudi, in preparation for the three-day Kadlekai Parishe (groundnut fair), which will open on Monday. But worry looms over the otherwise festive atmosphere. “The rain gods have not been kind this year. Groundnut produce has dropped to 40 per cent of last year’s yield,” says farmer Somashekar from Laggere.
Bad rain and huge investments in water tankers have resulted in the price of groundnuts shooting up to Rs. 2,000 for a 60-kg sack. This year, small traders have paid Rs. 5,500 per sack compared to Rs. 3,500 last year.
“If you add transportation costs of Rs. 200, roasting Rs. 200, and cleaning Rs. 100 per sack, then our margins are slim,” says Kumar, a groundnut trader from Gavipuram, who has been attending the parishe for the last 25 years.
An acre of groundnut crop requires 14 tankers of water once a week for four months. Each tanker costs Rs. 300. “This is the economics behind the steep rise in price,” said farmers Mani and Manohar from Yediyur. They are, however, quick to add that almost every one at the parishe sells at the same rate for each variety of the nut.
“We come here three days a year as we are happy to offer our produce to Lord Basava,” said Mr. Mani, who grows onion, potato, and garlic the rest of the year.
What seems hard for the farmers to shake off is the use of plastic bags. “The BMS college students and teachers, who source cotton bags especially for the parishe, supply it free to us, but many who buy in large quantities insist on using only plastic bags. We are helpless,” said another farmer, Nagaraju.
History remembered
Five lakh people visit the parishe every year and generate business of about Rs. 1 crore from nearly 1,000 farmers, according to authorities at the Bull Temple. Legend has it that more than a century ago the area was a village of Sunkenahalli, but its farm produce would be largely eaten away by bulls in the area. As a solution, elders decided to offer their produce to Lord Basava every year.
