Kodagu: Several small and medium scale coffee growers have been hit hard by the first spell of rain this year in many parts of Kodagu.
On the one hand, small and medium-sized growers are struggling to harvest the coffee bean due to lack of labour and on the other hand, it is difficult to bring in daily wage labourers from outside and dry the bean from the plant. For coffee harvesting they paid five to six rupees for one of them and brought it out of the tree.
Cloudy weather and rain are hampering the coffee bean that has to dry in the sunlight for seven to eight days. On the other hand, due to untimely rains, the coffee flower is blooming.
Many growers say that the coffee is still pending in the plants and if it is harvested after flowering, it will affect the next year’s yield. Overall, the condition of Kodagu growers is worse than the coffee yield this year.
