Chilli growers in Shahapur taluk have been suffering crop loss owing to incessant rains and rampant pest attacks that followed the wet spell.
According to farmers, out of nearly 2,500 acres of the land where chilli was planted, half was damaged in pest attacks after changing the weather condition, followed by the rain.
A majority of the farmers, whose lands were covered with irrigation by the Upper Krishna Project (UKP) in the taluk, have cultivated chilli. “I have spent ₹2 lakh per acre so far on chilli cultivation and harvesting. But I am now worried about the returnfrom the crop,” Amaresh, a farmer in Madriki village, has said.
He cultivated chilli on three acres of his land but the majority of the area was damaged. However, he was harvesting the pest-hit chilli to cover at least expenditure that was incurred so far, he added.
Farmers were expecting a good yield but in the present condition they will only get2-3 quintals that too of rain affected chilli per acre.
Farmerorganisations have demanded that the State government address the grievances of the chilli growers and release financial aid.
Mallikarjun Satyampet, State convener and vice president of Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha, said that farmers have not only suffered with chilli but also with cotton, red gram, and other crops owing to unabated rains. “The weather condition automatically changed after the rains and caused heavy losses to farm crops. Therefore, the State government should advise the officials of the concerned departments to conduct a survey on crop losses, especially for chilli crop, and release compensation,” he added.
