Coffee plantations in the Kodagu district are grappling with a shortage of labor, causing delays in the harvest of coffee. The demand for labour is particularly high during the December-April period since it is robusta coffee harvesting season in the district.
In various parts of the district, coffee estate owners are seen roaming in the city in search of labourers. In Virajpet, especially on Wednesdays, when there is a market day, planters from different parts of villages visit the town to seek laborers, who, on that day, frequent the market during their weekly day off.
“For the past five years, we have been encountering significant labour shortages for coffee picking. Previously, labourers used to come from North Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and parts of Mysuru. However, they have stopped coming as they find employment in the city, particularly in construction work. In the last three years, we got people from Assam. This year, they are not coming until the general elections are over,” Sandeep Muthappa, a planter from Virajpet told The Hindu.
