By S Bhuvaneshwari
BENGALURU: Farmers in pockets of perennially drought-stricken Pavagada taluk in Tumakuru district, who thought they had found solace in growing a variety of flowers after suffering huge losses from cultivating groundnut, are worried they will be back to square one given the Covid-19 situation and the series of lockdowns and restrictions.
Mostly into groundnut cultivation, farmers recently realised that the crop required a lot of water and was prone to various pests and diseases. So, they switched to growing flowers like chrysanthemum, tuberose (sugandharaja), jasmine, crossandra (kanakambara) and marigold.
While income from groundnut cultivation was highly uncertain, floriculture gave them assured returns on their investment, revealed Adisheha, a farmer from Neelammanahalli in the taluk.
While the area under flower cultivation has increased from 118.5 hectares in 2014-15 to 300 hectares in 2020-21, the yield has also gone up from 1,125 tonnes to 2,342.8 tonnes during the period. Kannamedi, Devayyanapalya, Kamanadurga, Bellibatlu, Gujjanoodu and Neelammanahalli are now massively into floriculture.
The flowers are transported to Hindupur, Rayadurga, Kalyandurg and Madakasira in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, Ballari, Shivamogga, Kolar, Bengaluru, Chitradurga, Hyderabad and Tumakuru. Farmers said they suffered huge losses during the series of lockdowns, but now that the latest one has been lifted, they are able to get better prices for their produce.
Steady income
Byadanuru Doddahatti Pujarappa, a farmer and president Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha taluk, told ToI, “I earn Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 a day growing flowers in the one acre of land I have. We lost lakhs of rupees during the lockdowns. We will literally be on the streets if the government imposes another one.” He said the government should help farmers by providing compensation in case another lockdown is imposed.
Jampanna, a farmer in Kilaradahalli, recalled how he used to borrow money from private moneylenders when he grew groundnuts and how he was humiliated every time he defaulted. “But now I get Rs 800-900 a day selling crossandra flowers. I would have cleared all my loans if there were no lockdowns,” he said.
He said that they get a steady income from flowers during the wedding season and festivals, but Covid-19 was snatching away their means of livelihood. “My wife also plucks flowers and makes garlands along with other labourers,” he said.
Employment generation
People from Pavagada taluk would generally migrate to cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mysuru and other places in search of jobs due to drought leaving their children in the care of elderly parents back home. During the recent lockdowns, these migrants returned and most of them who had sunk borewells began growing flowers, vegetables, fruits and groundnuts. Plucking, making garlands and transporting them to the market are generating jobs in the area. Homemakers are also earning extra money by making garlands.
Shivakumar MH, assistant director, horticulture department, said flowers are not as water intensive as other crops and the yield is also better if farmers use drip irrigation.
He said tuberose and jasmine growers could beat lockdown difficulties by supplying oil extraction industries. He said the department has linked about 20 farmers to oil extraction units. He said under the National Horticulture Mission, a subsidy of Rs 6,000 per hectare for marigold, jasmine, crossandra, chrysanthemum and Rs 18,000 per hectare for tuberose is provided to flower growers. The last date for submitting applications for subsidy is August 20.
