The continuing dry spell in Wayanad, a major coffee, pepper and spices-producing district in the State, for the past many weeks has put farmers in distress.
According to rainfall data available with the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology here, only a few parts in the district received a rainfall of 45.03 mm from January 1 to April 18 this year as against an average of 136.77 mm during the corresponding period last year.
Thousands of farmers in the district have started black pepper cultivation after a better price for the produce in the market for the past few years. However the lack of summer rain has put all of them in a fix.
C.J. Sebastian, a farmer from Padichira near Pulpally checking a coffee plant that weathered owing to the dearth of summer rain. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
“I planted 100 black pepper saplings last monsoon, but all the plants dried out owing to dearth of summer rain,” C.J. Sebastian, 58, a farmer from Padichira near Pulpally told The Hindu.
The condition of the newly planted areca nut, coffee, banana plantain, and other crops is not different, Mr. Sebastian said. Earlier, residents used to pump water from bore wells continuously, but no one can pump it for more than half an hour now owing to groundwater depletion, he said.
Though coffee plants have started flowering in the summer showers, the dry spell for the past several weeks will adversely affect coffee production next year, said K. Prakash, a coffee planter from Kattikulam.
A few pockets in the district got better summer rains, and coffee plants bloomed well, but the shortage of backup showers is a major concern among farmers in those areas, Mr. Prakash said. A majority of farmers in the district are facing similar issues, except big planters who could irrigate their plantations, he added.
Many farmers are yet to plant annual crops such as ginger and yam owing to dearth of summer rain. The delay in planting will badly affect production next season, they said.
