1. Cauvery woes: Not just deficit, erratic distribution of rainfall a major concern in Kodagu
It is not just deficit monsoon that is worrying farmers in Kodagu, which is the main catchment area and place of origin of river Cauvery. This hilly district in Karnataka, which accounts for about 36% of India’s coffee production besides the country’s best quality pepper, is concerned over uneven distribution of rainfall.
The planters here fear that erratic distribution during different months of the monsoon this year may result in loss of coffee and pepper crop to the tune of ₹850 crore. The number is a very conservative estimate arrived at by considering 25% loss in coffee yield, accounting for ₹750 crore, and 20% in pepper yield amounting to ₹100 crore. Read the second story in our Drought and Distress series.
