Chikkamagaluru: Rainfall coupled with hailstorm and strong winds have significantly damaged coffee and areca crops, leading to major losses in Hassan and Chikkamagaluru districts.Coffee as well as areca planters were concerned about next season’s yields as hailstorms hit plantations during flowering, resulting in broken branches, dropped berries and reduced quality. Koppa, Sringeri, Mudigere, and Chikkamagaluru taluks in Chikkamagaluru district were severely affected due to hailstones. Plantations in Sakleshpura and Belur taluks in Hassan were also severely affected. Many coffee estates were flowering when hailstones hit the region, triggering worries about the next crop and its quality. Hailstones left branches of coffee plants broken, shredded leaves and directly damaged the coffee berries. Intense rainfall and hail also damaged immature plants, likely reducing next year’s production. Paramesha, a planter, said high moisture due to melting hail, combined with rain, increases the risk of fungal infections and black rot disease in coffee plants, impacting quality coffee beans. Three days back, strong wind in Mudigere taluk severely damaged crops. According to one Rajath, several trees in the forests and silver oak were uprooted, severely damaging coffee plants. Arabica plants were severely affected due to wind and hailstones, he added. Thousands of areca plants have been uprooted in Koppa taluk due to strong wind. K K Ravi of Kudregundi said nearly 80 plants were damaged due to wind last week. “All fully-grown plants were uprooted and hailstones damaged standing crops as well,” he said. Another planter, Arun, who lost about 60 plants, said even the existing omes took a heavy battering. According to officials at the horticulture department, areca plants were severely affected in the Malnad belt, with farmers advised to take necessary precautions.
