CHAMARAHALLI: Scarce rain has wreaked havoc with the cultivation plans of farmers in Kolar and KGF taluks. The drought has forced some of them to become daily-wage labourers just for survival.
After losing his ragi crop last year, Nageshappa (56) is trying his luck with green chilli on his three-acre land at Chamara Halli in Kolar taluk.
He has to support his wife and two sons, Dinesh and Nanjunda.
Green chilli has a shorter crop cycle, five to-six months, and he has less to worry. He also works at other fields and every morning he tends to his chilli cultivation on his land.
Nageshappa said that in the past he had earned good money from agriculture. Earlier labour was cheap. Wages were only around `150 to `175 per day. “Now even if we pay Rs 500 workers are not available,” he said. The situation has, however, a plus point now that he has become a daily-wager.
Nageshappa regrets that he did not allow his sons to take up higher education. During those days, income from agriculture was sufficient to lead a modest life but drought has redrawn the picture, he said.
Venkataswamy, a friend of Nageshappa, too, has stopped cultivation despite owning land. He owns cattle and survives on income from it. If the rain scene improves, he may take up cultivation in his land, he said.
Narayanaswamy (55), a farmer in T Golla Halli, said drought has extensively damaged his tomato crop. Even farmers with borewells need a good amount of rain to get good tomato yield, he said. A few of his family members are working in Bengaluru. He is the only one who stayed back for farming.
He spent around Rs 5 lakh for this season’s cultivation on his three-and- half acres. He paid Rs 500 per day for women labourers and `700 for men. The plants had grown up to two-and- half feet tall but scarcity of rain resulted in extensive crop loss.
Now he has decided to grow cucumber, largely a safe bet, without incurring much investment and it is not a labour intensive crop. He added that even those farmers who have dug borewells have suffered huge losses. Only rain will help us, he said.
Narayanaswamy said his elder son, Srikanth, is a graduate and not keen on farming and is doing timber business. His second son, Sridhar, is a pre-university student and often helps his father in the field. He emphasized that he shifted from tomato cultivation to cucumber because of the high labour cost involved.
Srinivasa (60), another farmer in T Golla Halli, said he has stopped cultivation and taken up dairy farming. He has bought four cattle and every month earns up to Rs 25,000. He spends around Rs 10,000 on fodder and manages his family of four with Rs 15,000. And he can sleep well without any dark clouds hovering over him.
