Coconut growers in Tumakuru — referred to as the ‘Kalpatharu Naadu’ ( Land of coconut trees) — are in distress. They are giving up coconut farming altogether and turning to dairy farming or the garment industry, despite candidates wooing them with promises of waiving off their loans and better prices for produce ahead of the Assembly elections.
A majority of farmers in Tumakuru district are dependent primarily on coconut farming for their livelihood. Coconut is grown in all the 10 taluks of the district, except in some parts of rocky and hilly areas of Madhugiri and Pavagada taluks. However, drought has seen a drastic change in fortunes over the past four years, as coconut trees have been hit by lack of water, diseases and pests.
The 2017 rains were not sufficient to recharge the groundwater table, which had depleted due to continuous drought and drilling of borewells in previous years.
B.S. Devaraj, State secretary of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sanga, said 50% of coconut trees have dried up and the yield has decreased by 40%. “Around 15% of coconut trees have stopped yielding any fruit,” he added.
Left with no alternative, farmers have set out in search of other avenues of livelihood, such as dairy farming, garment factories, and as security guards in ATMs, schools and commercial establishments in the district.
Suganendra, a coconut grower in Ballekatte of Tiptur taluk, said, “My income has reduced from ₹ 7.5 lakh per annum to ₹3.5 lakh because 250 trees out of 500 on 10 acres have dried up due to drought. I have become a dairy farmer and have six crossbreed cows now.” He earns ₹12,000 per month from dairy farming, which will help him meet his family’s expenses.
Rajashekar, a farmer from Gowdanakatte in Tiptur taluk, said having good food and wearing good clothes have become a dream for farmers like him, as they are not getting good income from coconuts and copra from the decreased yield. He too has purchased two cows to earn additional income.
But he added that maintenance of cows is expensive, as there is no green fodder and cattle feed is expensive. The ₹28.50 he gets per litre of milk, including subsidy, is not enough to make ends meet, he said.
Another trend is of farmers having the option of working in the 20 garment factories in the district instead of migrating to Bengaluru in search of work.
There were only 10 small garment factories with 25 machines each in Tumakuru district in 2014. However, in the last three years, 10 big garment factories have been launched. They have 600 to 1,000 machines in each unit and employ over 10,000 people.
Thimmappa, a farmer from Nonavinakere, said, “I am working as a garment worker in Tiptur to earn a living as I am not getting any income from the 100 palms as most of them have dried up.” He is managing to sustain his family with the ₹6,000 he gets per month.
Agricultural labourer Gowramma from Nittur, whose husband is no more, said she was forced to work in a garment factory after yield from her coconut plantation dried up.
