Pepper production at Somwarpet may fall by 25 percent, experts estimate

Agriculture, Business & Economy

Somwarpet :

Though the pepper growing area has been increasing in the district, the production is badly hit by drought this year. Experts estimate the yield could come down 20-25 per cent in the current season.

Pepper cultivation has become popular as prices increased more than three-fold in four years – from Rs 200 a kg to the current Rs 700. According to the Horticulture Department, pepper is grown on 10,857 hectares in the district, and approximately 5,000 tonnes of yield is expected.

District horticulture assistant director Pramod told Express on Tuesday that pepper production will be lower by at least 20-25 percent this year owing to drought. Normally the district receives the first rainfall of the year during February-March, but this year 70 per cent of the district failed to get rainfall even in April.

Pepper vines perish

In the parched areas of the district like Yedavare, Yedavanadu, Banavara, Kodlipet, Siddapura, Balele and Tithimathi, young pepper vines have wilted and died.

In many estates affluent growers were able to save the vines as well as their other crops using sprinklers. N K Palangappa, a small pepper grower in Gonikoppa, told Express that he lost nearly 50 per cent of his crop this year as he has no irrigation facilities. He said he was earning more income from pepper than from coffee, but this year it will not be be possible.

Karnataka is the largest pepper producer in India by overtaking Kerala two years ago.

Karnataka accounted for 33,000 tonnes of pepper last year, Kerala 28,000 tonnes and Tamil Nadu 9,000 tonnes. The total pepper production in India was 70,000 tonnes last year.

Spices Board marketing director S Kannan said the production of pepper in India is estimated at 53,000 tonnes this year. He said nearly 20-25 percent of the pepper crop has been lost in Karnataka and more than 30 per cent in Kerala.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Coovercolly Indresh / Express News Service / May 25th, 2016

‘Environment-friendly industries to get help’

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment

Minister questions absence of Spices Board in Kodagu

Assistance will be given for the setting up of environment-friendly industries in Kodagu district, said Satish Jarkiholi, Minister for Small Scale Industries.

Speaking at a review meeting here on Tuesday, the minister assured that financial assistance will be given for the setting up of small scale industries.

“There is an ample of opportunities for the setting up of food cluster, apiculture, fruit processing and juice units in the district. Land can be purchased at the market rate for the government projects,” he added.

The minister said that special emphasis will be given for the change in khata at industrial area in Kushalnagar. The MoU signed during the investors’ meet in the district will be implemented, he added.

“Black pepper is cultivated on a large scale in the district. The district should have had a Spices Board. Why has it not been set up so far?” he asked.

Deputy Commissioner Meer Anees Ahmmed said that 50-acre land has been identified in the district and all efforts are being made to set up a unit of the Spices Board.

Ketolira Fancy Ganapathy appealed to the minister to provide financial assistance for the setting up of food cluster, apiculture, piggery and fruit processing units in the district.

Textile park
B N Prakash, District Commerce and Industries Association president, said that there is a need to set up an environment-friendly textile park in the district. A tiles factory at Madikebeedu has been closed down. There is a need to revive the tiles industry and promote pottery in the district.

The minister, who spoke to mediapersons later, said that government facilities have failed to reach all sections of the society. “Hence, there is a need to publish the report of the socio-economic survey conducted by the government last year,” he insisted.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / Madikeri – DHNS, May 25th, 2016

Upendra, Prema combination back after 17 years

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg
Prema
Prema

Following Kalpana 2 and Mukunda Murari, Upendra has signed up his next, which has an interesting title, Upendra Matte Hutti Baa, Inti Prema. The screenplay, inspired by the Telugu film Soggade Chinni Nayana, we hear that the storyline for Kannada is written by Upendra himself. The film will be directed by Arun Loknath who also helmed H20, which starred Upendra and Priyanka and Prabhu.

UpendraKF26may2016

Upendra Matte Hutti Baa will see Uppi in a dual role.
Prema’s first film with Upendra was his directorial Om that starred Shivarajkumar in the lead.

She later starred opposite him in Upendra, which turned out to be a blockbuster.

The actress took a hiatus from films after Shishira (2009).

“After 17 years, she will share screen space with Upendra in her comeback film,“ says our source.

Sriram, who has been managing Upendra’s work will be producing this film. He has currently taken the responsibility of finalising the rest of the cast. If all goes well, the crew plans to go on floors in the second week of June.

Meanwhile, Upendra is completing portions of his film Mukunda Murari directed by Nanda Kishore and will follow it up with a song for Ananth Raju’s Kalpana 2.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Kannada / by A Shradhaa / May 23rd, 2016

Madikeri CMC readies itself to face tough rains

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders, Nature

Task force formed for help during loss of houses, lives.

The City Municipal Council is all set to face eventualities from the heavy rain during monsoon in the next three months.

The Municipality has formed a task force to address the grievances of the people in case of house collapse and loss of life following heavy rain.

City Municipality Commissioner B B Pushvathi has directed the teams to visit the spots immediately in case of any mishap during monsoon. The task force members should not leave the headquarters from June to August, she added.

Problem places
Areas like Tyagaraja Nagara, Rajarajeshwari Nagara, Ukkuda, Gaddige, Azad Nagara, Indira Nagara, Chamundeshwari Nagara, Jyothi Nagara, Ventakaramanna Layout, Rifle Range Nagara, Webs layout, Dairy Farm, Mangaladevi Nagara, Moornadu Road, Mangaluru state highway, Jayanagara, Sudarshan Layout, Ashokapura, Mallikarjuna Nagara, Thippegundi, Ranipete, Bhagavathi Nagara, FMC College, Putani Nagara, Dechur are likely to have rain-related mishaps in town. The artificial flood entering the houses and uprooting of trees on the road are common in these areas. The Municipality has deployed officials to such flood-prone areas to mitigate the damages.

Desilting drains
She said that officials have been directed to remove the silt in the open drains for the easy flow of rainwater. Senior Programmer M N Sandhya and Second Division Assistant B R Harini have been given the responsibility of collecting information on the rain damage and submit it to the district administration daily. The revenue and health inspectors have been directed to shift the people in low lying areas to the safer places in case of necessity.

The City Municipality has appealed to the contractors to give utmost importance to the safety of the labourers working during the monsoon.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / by Aditya K A / Madikeri – DHNS, May 21st, 2016

India Could Play Big Role In Making Coffee More Expensive

Business & Economy, Coffee News, World Opinion
India is the world's sixth-biggest coffee producer, well behind leaders Brazil and Vietnam. (Reuters Photo)
India is the world’s sixth-biggest coffee producer, well behind leaders Brazil and Vietnam. (Reuters Photo)

HIGHLIGHTS
1. India’s coffee output likely to drop due to poor rains, hot temperatures

2. Lower production from India likely to make coffee even more expensive

3. India is the world’s sixth-biggest coffee producer

_______________________________________________________________

Mumbai :

India’s coffee output in the next crop year is expected to drop by around a quarter to the lowest in nearly two decades as poor rains and hot temperatures hit plantations during the crucial flowering stage, the head of an industry body said.

India is the world’s sixth-biggest coffee producer, well behind leaders Brazil and Vietnam.

Nonetheless, lower production from India could provide more support to global prices, already surging due to a drop in the output in top producer Brazil.

“Dry weather is hitting plantations in the crucial flowering stage. On a conservative basis, we are estimating a 25 percent drop in production,” Baba P. S. Bedi, chairman of the Karnataka Planters Association (KPA) told news agency Reuters.

Karnataka accounts for about 70 percent of India’s total output. India is likely to produce 350,000 tonnes coffee in the current season ending on September 30, according to estimates by the state-run Coffee Board.

With a 25 percent reduction in Karnataka, production could drop to 263,000 tonnes in the 2016/17 crop year, the lowest since 1998/99.

The Coffee Board is expected to provide its first production forecasts for 2016/17 by mid-June, said D R Babu Reddy, an agricultural economist at the Board.

India, which started coffee cultivation in 1670 with seven smuggled beans, produces mainly robusta, used primarily in instant coffee.

“Due to the back-to-back droughts, ground water has been depleted,” said Bedi, pointing to lower rainfall since the start of March on top of drought last year.

Coffee growing regions in southern India received up to 70 percent lower rainfall than normal from March to mid-May, according to the India Meteorological Department.

Higher than normal summer temperatures alongside water scarcity had badly impacted the conversion of coffee flowers into cherries, said Anil Kumar Bhandari, a large planter.

India exports three-quarters of its coffee production and production problems will dent shipments in 2016/17, said an exporter based in Bengaluru.

“This year, exporters are aggressively selling due to a recovery in global prices. Next year we will have very limited carry forward stocks,” the exporter said.

Italy, Germany and Belgium are the main buyers of India’s crop, paying a premium over global prices.

India’s coffee exports have risen 19.4 percent to 213,187 tonnes since the start of current marketing year on October 1.

© Thomson Reuters 2016

source: http://www.ndtv.com / NDTV / Home> Sections> All India / Reuters / May 17th, 2016

Robin Uthappa crosses 5,000-run mark in T20s against Gujarat Lions in IPL 2016

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sports

Robin Uthappa was just two runs short to reach the landmark before the beginning of this match.

Robin Uthappa © AFP (File Photo)
Robin Uthappa © AFP (File Photo)

Robin Uthappa, Kolkata Knight Riders batsman has crossed the 5,ooo-run mark in Twenty20 cricket. This was in the 51st match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016. Playing for KKR against Gujarat Lions (GL), Uthappa opened the batting along with Manish Pandey. This was after KKR were invited to bat first. Talking of the batsmen who top the list among leading run scorers in T20s are Chris Gayle, Brad Hodge and David Warner. They are in the top three positions. Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma are at No. 5, 6 and 7 slots respectively. At No. 4 is Brendon McCullum. Among Indians, after Rohit, Gautam Gambhir is next in the list followed by Uthappa. This makes Uthappa the fifth highest scorer among Indians in T20s.

Gujarat Lions will look to bounce back from their heaviest defeat this season as they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in this Indian Premier League (IPL) game. Regular captain Suresh Raina is back for the tie at the Green Park stadium to boost the team’s confidence after skipping the Royal Challengers Bangalore match to be alongside his pregnant wife who gave birth to a daughter recently.

The last time these two sides had met at the Eden Gardens, the Lions had come out on top and it will be interesting to see what Gautam Gambhir will do to turn the tables this time around. The home side might look to get in Dale Steyn and James Faulkner in the side to strengthen their bowling. The wily fast bowlers might prove to be handy against the in form KKR batsmen. The Knights have suffered problems in their top order but they have been able to put healthy totals on the board frequently.

(With inputs from IANS)

source: http://www.cricketcountry.com / Cricket Country / Home> News / by Cricket Country Staff / May 19th, 2016

Meet to promote Kodagu culture

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Mysuru:

Karnataka Arebhashe Samskritika and Sahitya Academy, Madikeri, in association with Kodagu Gowda Samaja will hold a two-day meet from May 14 to preserve and promote the old Kodagu Gowda culture.

Academy chief Kolyada Girish said the event will be held at Bharath Scouts and Guides grounds. The cultural event will be inaugurated by Kudupajje K Kushalappa, president of Kodagu Gowda Samaja.

“The event has been organized to make the younger generation more familarized with the rich Kodagu Gowda culture and tradition. Nearly 3,000 people from all over Karnataka are expected to take part,” said Girish.

Solo elocution on Arebhashe culture, fashion show, lyric writing, mono acting, rhymes, conference and other cultural events will be held on the occasion, said Mandrira G Mohandas, coordinator of the function.

Cultural programmes
On the second day, cultural programmes will be inaugurated by chief minister Siddaramaiah. The rally will be flagged off by MLA Vasu. Seetharama Kevalla, principal, Vidya Rashmi Vidyasamthe, Savanuru, Chandramathi from Government High School Markanja and Pattada Shivakumar from Government College, Hobbli will present papers on the Arebhashe culture and tradition.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Mysore / TNN / May 12th, 2016

Two-Day ‘Arebhashe Aisiri ’ meet begins in city

Uncategorized

KodaguGowdaKF20may2016

Mysuru :

Hundreds of Kodagu Gowdas including women and children, dressed in their colourful best were present at the inauguration of the two-day cultural extravaganza with the title ‘Arebhashe Aisiri’, organised by Karnataka Arebhashe Samskruthika Sahitya Academy and Kodagu Gowda Samaja, Mysuru at the Scouts and Guides grounds behind the DC’s office here this morning.

Inaugurating the cultural event, Kodagu Gowda Samaja President Kudupaje K. Kushalappa said there is a need for propagation of 500-year-old Kodagu Gowda Culture, Tradition and Language which was being used by 5 lakh people to keep our future generations abreast.

Calling upon Kodagu Gowdas to shun inferiority complex and compete with other people to achieve their goals, he added that there were more than 2,000 Kodagu Gowdas residing in Mysuru who should get together and unitedly propagate their rich culture.

Chamaraja MLA Vasu, speaking on the occasion, said that frequent organisation of such programmes would go a long way in preserving and propagating the virtues of Kodagu Gowda culture.

Academy Chairman Kolyada Girish, Mysuru Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada Kodagu Gowda Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association President U. Janardhan, Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada Kodagu Gowda Women’s Association President Uluvarana Ghanavathi, Mysuru Kodagu Arabhashe Gowda Yuva Vedike President Mukkati Punith, Dakshina Kannada Kodagu Gowda Samaja President Naveen Devaragunda, Kodagu Gowda Kshemabhivrudhi Sangha President Nedumane Chengappa, Assistant Director, Directorate of Information and Publicity, New Delhi, Dr. T.C.Poornima and others were present.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / May 14th, 2016

3 girls top in ICSE exams

Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All

Madikeri:

Pandit Aradhana Swanand has emerged as the district topper in ICSE class X exams. The student from Coorg Public School secured 97%.

A R Hitha has secured 96%, with 100 in computer applications, while C M Monica has also scored 96%, the school stated, adding that “the three of them have achieved a unique distinction of scoring 1 point in all subjects”.

Coorg Public School has posted centum results, which, it stated, is a feat, given that it has scored 100% for 18 successive years.

Of the 85 students, 16 have scored over 90% marks and 34 above 80% marks.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Mysore / TNN / May 13th, 2016

‘Bhagamandala-Talacauvery glory should be retained’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders, Nature

Rakshana Vedike member opposes fire rituals for rains

Talacauvery Moolaswaroopa Rakshana Vedike Member Ulliyada M Poovaiah urged the government to retain the original glory of Bhagamandala and Talacauvery.

These two spots should not be converted into tourist destinations, he said.Addressing mediapersons here on Tuesday, Poovaiah said that in the official documents of the government, such as maps, Cauvery kshetra is mentioned as a tourist centre.

“The mistake should be rectified. Necessary measures should be taken to control the activities of tourists at the theerthakola (pond) of Talacauvery and Brahmagiri Hills. Security personnel should be appointed at the junction near Kailasa Ashrama and a gate should be erected,” he said.

Dress code

“Also, a dress code should be implemented at the Cauvery kshetra. The maintenance of theerthakola and Brahmakundike must be carried out as mentioned in the letter by Neeleshwara Padmanabha Tantri to the deputy commissioner. The water of the theerthakola has not been changed the last several months. The polluted water may cause harm to health. Hence, the theerthakola should be cleaned regularly. Measures should be taken to implement green police system in Talacauvery,” he demanded.

‘No rituals’

“There is an information saying some seers will perform sacred fire rituals at Talacauvery for rains. Singing the glory of God through bhajan and namasmarane is allowed, but sacred fire rituals are not entertained,” he said.

Ulliyada Poovaiah said that the plastic sheet above the brahmakundike is against religious beliefs. The cover should be removed immediately. The pooja timings should be displayed on a venue. The pooja should be conducted on specific timings.

Kodava Makkada Koota President Bollajira B Ayyappa, Talacauvery Moola Swaroopa Rakshana Vedike Convener Kokkalera A Cariappa, Secretary Karun Kalaiah, members Kodiyara Muttanna and Ratan Thammaiah were present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / Madikeri – DHNS – May 12th, 2016