A delegation of BJP leaders led by former Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa met Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in New Delhi on Wednesday and appealed to him to provide relief for areca growers suffering because of leaf spot disease that hit the areca plantations.
The delegation included Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, Sagar MLA Hartal Halappa, Lok Sabha member B.Y. Raghavendra, and former MLC Krishna Bhat. The delegation submitted a plea seeking relief for the areca growers and setting up of a research institute for research on areca.
Mr.Yediyurappa, in his memorandum, said the areca had been grown in over 1.02 lakh hectares in Shivamogga district. The district economy was dependent on areca plantations. “In the recent past areca cultivation is affected by biotic and abiotic factors causing a huge economic loss to the growers. Changes in climatic conditions have caused diseases like leaf spot, fruit rot and Ganoderma wilt” he said.
Besides farmers of Shivamogga, those in Chikkamagaluru, Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udipi had been affected. “It is high time to intervene by way of confidence-building measures such as finding solutions to the diseases that affect the yield. The Karnataka government is providing plant protection chemicals. However, it is insufficient to compensate the loss”, he said and urged the Union Minister to provide suitable compensation for the loss of arecanut production through the National Disaster Relief Fund. He also requested the minister to establish an Arecanut Research Institute to study the issues challenging the areca plantations.
Vast tracts of areca plantations in Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru have been hit by leaf spot disease. The disease brings down the yield initially and gradually the trees die. Recently a farmer in Hosanagar taluk committed suicide unable to clear the loan he had borrowed to cultivate areca in his farm. He was upset over the leaf spot disease.
The farmers have been demanding that the State government and Centre come to their rescue.
