Even as the State government recently declared that all the five taluks in Kolar district as drought-hit, a joint survey by the Revenue and Agriculture departments has found that crops cultivated on 67,649 hectares of land in the district have been lost due to deficient rainfall. As many as 87,443 farmers in the district have been affected due to lack of rain, and 6,641 of them have so far submitted applications to the Horticulture Department seeking relief for crop loss.
Farmers and farmers’ organisations were demanding that the government declare Kolar as drought-hit as the monsoon failed for sixth consecutive year in the district.
The joint survey was completed only after Minister of State for Agriculture C. Krishna Byre Gowda visited the district to study the situation. Mr. Gowda has submitted the report to the government.
According to the survey, groundnut and ragi crops, the two principal crops in the district, have suffered major damage. Ragi cultivated on 48,672 hectares and groundnut cultivated on 12,954 hectares has been lost. In all, crop loss was recorded on 67,649 hectares.
According to sources in the Agriculture Department, though the district received a couple of spells of rain after the joint survey report was prepared, it was not likely to improve the drought situation.
According to the survey, more than 50 per cent of horticultural crops cultivated on 25,650 hectares have been lost owing to drought, including mango cultivated on 16,000 hectares.
