DHARWAD:There seems to be no end to the sufferings of farmers in the district. After seeing consecutive droughts, they are now facing a new challenge in the form of monkey menace. Troops of monkeys have been invading their fields and destroying crops like groundnut, green gram and vegetables for the past one month. Villagers of Yadwad, Yerikoppa, Kardigudda and Pudakalakatti are the worst-hit.
Worried farmers from Yadwad village recently met the panchayat development officer and asked him to check the menace. Crops grown in around 60 acres are partially destroyed.“The monkeys invade the fields in groups and farmers haplessly watch their crops getting destroyed,” Mahantesh, a farmer from Yadwad village, said. “We spent over `10,000 to cultivate groundnut and green gram but they are being destroyed.”Another farmer said the monkeys visit the fields in the morning and stay there till evening. Bursting crackers and taking pet dogs to the fields have also failed to yield any results.