It has been three years since pomegranate farmers in Karnataka have had a good crop year. Now, with incessant rains, pomegranates are being affected by blight and wilt diseases which leave the fruit with black spots and cracked surfaces, thereby reducing their quality. While some farmers in the North Karnataka region have crop insurance, new farmers in regions around Bengaluru have no protection.
Shift from grapes
In the districts of Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Bengaluru Rural, farmers removed their usual crops of grapes and other vegetables and planted pomegranates a few years ago in the hope of reaping greater profits. While this change did bear fruit for the first two to three years, 60 to 70% of these farmers have now removed these trees and gone back to other horticulture crops. The farmers reported losing over 50% of the fruits in the previous harvest.
