“Earlier, a man with 200 coconut trees was rich. Parents would not hesitate to get their daughter to marry him. Now, boys are going to bigger cities, even for very low salaries, as coconut plantations fetch nothing,” said Anand, a youth of Channahalli in Channarayapatna taluk.
Almost all 300 trees in his farm in the village have gone dry, reducing the agricultural income to almost nil. This is the plight of hundreds of coconut growers in parts of Hassan, Tumakuru and Shivamogga hit badly by three consecutive years of drought. While it is raining in some parts of the State, these regions in south-interior Karnataka are still rain-starved.
No income
The socio-economic impact of these continuous spells of drought has been huge in the region. With no yield in their coconut plantations, many youths have ended up as workers in garment units or as security guards in Bengaluru for meagre salaries. “My father sent me to study in Mysuru 15 years ago, as then he was earning more than ₹3 lakh a year from coconut trees. He had saved enough money from his earnings for my three sisters’ weddings. Now we are getting nothing from the farm,” Mr. Anand said.
Andanaiah and Sharadamma couple at Huli Honnenahalli in Channarayapatna taluk have two sons, both working in garment units in Bengaluru. “We have 40 coconut trees and all have dried up. You won’t believe it, but now we are purchasing coconuts from shops for cooking in our own homes,” Ms. Sharadamma said.
Nagesh of Biligere village in Tiptur taluk of Tumakuru district is an agricultural sciences graduate, but his qualification has hardly helped him. “If there is no water at all, neither science nor modern techniques can save our coconut trees,” he said with a sardonic laugh. He tried to sink three borewells within a span of three months — from February to April 2017 — up to 880 feet, but all failed. He is now struggling to pay interest on loan.
According to the latest estimation by the Horticulture Department, over 14 lakh coconut trees, belonging to over 85,000 farmers, have gone dry, impacting the rural economy in Hassan district badly. In Tumakuru, 80% of the growers are dependent on coconut in all the 10 taluks of the district. State secretary of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha B.S. Devaraj told The Hindu that 25 to 30% of the coconut trees in the district had dried up and the yield had reduced to 40 to 50%. There is no official estimate of the loss yet in Tumakuru district.
Vijay Kumar of Dindaguru, also a coconut grower, said average income from a yielding coconut tree would be around ₹1,000 to ₹1,500, depending on the copra price. “If a family has 200 trees, the income is more than sufficient to look after daily expenses, besides for a considerable saving. Now, the earnings have come down to a few thousands of rupees or nothing,” he said.
No brides
This situation prompted MLA for Arsikere K.M. Shivalinge Gowda to say in the Legislative Assembly recently that many boys in families with coconut plantations were not getting brides, with parents wary of alliance with these impoverished farmers.
Farmers also believe that the impact will be long-lasting. Shivappa of Muddenahalli in Tumakuru taluk told The Hindu , “Even if I plant coconut saplings this year in my one-acre land, I will get yield only after 10 years.”
₹8,000 per tree as compensation?
The Horticulture Department has found deficiency in moisture the main reason for this dire situation in coconut-growing areas.
“Continuous drought has resulted in this crisis. We have estimated that of the total 66,000 ha of coconut plantations in Hassan district, more than 13,000 ha have been affected by drought. We are conducting a survey to collect farmer-wise data along with the individual photo of farmers. We have recommended a compensation at the rate of ₹8,000 per tree which would come to around ₹1,300 crore,” said A.B. Sanjay, Deputy Director of the Horticulture Department.
However, farmers are demanding ₹15,000 per tree as compensation.
