The Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa said on Monday that to expedite research on yellow leaf disease (YLD) which is severely haunting arecanut growers of Dakshina Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga and Kodagu districts and to encourage alternative crops, a programme would be planned with an outlay of ₹25 crore.
He made the announcement while presenting the Budget for 2021-22.
Plantation affected
Thanking the government, Mahesh Puchhappady, general secretary of All-India Areca Growers’ Association (AIAGA), Puttur, said more than 1,200 hectares of plantations have been affected by YLD in 12 villages in Sullia taluk, Dakshina Kannada alone. The association had requested the government to find a solution to this problem.
He said the government’s decision to allocate the amount to promote research on YLD and to promote alternative crops has come at the right time.
A. Kishor Kumar Kodgi, president of the Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd., Mangaluru, said that the cooperative had requested the government to extend compensation to farmers whose plantations have been affected by the YLD.
The YLD has affected farmers in many arecanut-growing regions in the State, he said.
A horticulture department official told the Karnataka Development Programme Review Committee meeting in Mangaluru recently that 1,712.25 hectares of arecanut plantations have been hit by the YLD in Dakshina Kannada alone mainly in Sullia and Puttur taluks. According to the official, 5,588 farmers have been affected in the district.
It is estimated that 13,000 hectares of arecanut plantations have been affected in the State.
