1. Leaf-spot disease: Areca growers worried ahead of monsoon
Hundreds of arecanut growers in the Malnad region, badly hit by the leaf-spot disease, are worried that their problem might intensify with the onset of the monsoon. More than 42,000 hectares of areca farms have been affected by fungal infection in Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
Following repeated appeals by growers, the Central government had sent a team of experts to assess the situation. Though the farmers followed the instructions from the Horticulture Department and applied medicines, the impact on the ground has been minimal, leaving the growers looking for alternative ways to protect their farms.
