Around noon, Krishne Gowda sits idle at his Chandrashekara Rice Mill in Keelara in Mandya district of south Karnataka, waiting for farmers to get their paddy for hulling. Arrivals are down to a trickle following a decline in crop production due to drought.
“Harvesting starts around November-December, and we would get paddy till about May. In the past, on an average, over 30 farmers would come daily. The number has dwindled to two or three farmers, as the crop was meagre. Even then, the quantity coming in is hardly 40 to 50 kg, a decline from more than a quintal (100 kg) that each farmer would bring. My mill is barely operational. I have reduced my staff from six to two. To top it all, the minimum user charge has gone up from ₹2,300 to ₹9,500,” says Mr. Gowda whose mill is located in drought-hit Mandya district.
A rice mill lies idle due to drought in Mandya district of Karnataka. Staff have been laid off owing to lack of business. | Photo Credit: K Bhagya Prakash
No scope for late rabi crop
Highly dependent on water from the historic Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) reservoir across river Cauvery, a large part of the irrigated regions in the district are known for paddy and sugarcane. Many farmers did not cultivate paddy during the last kharif though government released water after initially asking farmers not to cultivate paddy. The depleting water level at KRS did not provide any scope for the late rabi crop.
In a district that is the fulcrum of Vokkaliga politics, where water is also an emotional issue and people are known for their strong political views, the Centre-State spat over the release of drought relief seems to be an issue. The focus of political narratives in the intensely fought election, in which former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is in the fray as the BJP-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance candidate, has been on the ‘ill-effects’ of guarantees versus the ‘much-needed sustenance’ it has provided in a drought year.
Two views on guarantees
“The State Government has stopped contribution of ₹4,000 in Kissan Samman in which Centre pays ₹6,000. The ₹2,000 given as drought relief by the State is peanuts. Why should the government spend so much on guarantees and point towards the Centre for drought relief?” said Panchalingu in Keregodu. “Farmers are selling cow dung to make some money though they require it for their land. For a small amount of cash, some are even pawning their jewellery with local money-lenders.”
Contradicting him is Lakshmamma, in her 50s, who makes a living as a dairy farmer in Keelara. She argued that the guarantees, especially the Gruha Lakshmi, has helped her run the family in this drought year. While she does not have land, she struggles to manage fodder for her three cows. “I don’t know politics, but all I know is that the Congress government is giving women money that is helping to run their families. Most women in the village are happy with the guarantees.”
Failed borewells
Farmers, who tried to brave the drought to cultivate sugarcane using groundwater, are also in distress as the crops yet to mature are wilting since a large number of borewells have run dry, or seen a decline in yield.
Tomato crop wilting under the scorchign heat at Melkote in Mandya district of Karnataka. | Photo Credit: K Bhagya Prakash
In a bid to protect his sugarcane, Lohit in Keregodu has sunk two borewells, but both failed. Now, his crop has wilted. “If water was released in March and April, I could have saved my crop and borewells in the area would have been charged.”
Farmers whose crops are over nine months old are trying to recover a part of their investment by selling their yet-to-mature cane to jaggery units at a lower price.
“We are buying nine to 10-month-old cane at prices ranging from ₹1,200 to ₹1,900 per tonne. If one tonne of mature cane yields 1.1 quintals (1 quintal = 100 kg) of jaggery, this is giving us 70 kg, but not of good quality,” said B.C. Venkatesh of SLV Jaggery unit in Bilidegalu.
Dry land crops better off
In the normally dry and partially irrigated Nagamangala, farmers dependent on rain-fed crops have managed to sustain.
“Those dependent on irrigation failed this time. But, we got good ragi and horse gram crops,” said Jayendra Gowda, former president of Honakere Gram Panchayat.
The distress has been made acute as dairy farmers are finding it hard to maintain their cows that are already yielding less milk due to extreme heat. For decades, dairy farming has provided a sustainable living. Mandya is among the high milk producing districts in Karnataka. Those who managed paddy have stock of dry grass, but others are forced to purchase at a high cost.
Fodder in short supply
Ravi, a resident of Keelara, sold two of his three cows, as fodder availability has come down. “I am growing green fodder on my land from a borewell that is yielding less water. I could not keep more than one cow.”
Like thousand of farmers awaiting the release of government subsidy of ₹5 per litre, Gejjelgere farmer Jayakumar said, “The government could have released the subsidy in this time of distress. The last payment came in December 2023. We do not know when the next payment will come.”
