The tractor rally led by farmers was flagged-off at Kutta on Monday.
Urging the Central government to shelve the new farm laws and demanding support price for coffee, farmers and planters from Kodagu took out a tractor rally from Kutta, the border of Kodagu to Bengaluru, on Monday.
Gathering in large numbers, the farmers, along with their family members, including children, battled the cold weather and lashed out at the Central government.
The farmers seated in the tractors and jeeps raised slogans against the Central and state governments. They also demanded a minimum support price for coffee and pepper.
Probably for the first time in Kodagu, farmers, coffee planters, elected representatives from various political parties and labourers were part of the same protest.
The rally was held under the leadership of Raitha Sangha district president Kadyamada Manu Somaiah.
Speaking on the occasion, Kodava Federation president Kallichanda Vishnu Cariappa said that the farmers in the district have been toiling hard from the last three years. But, the crops have been destroyed in the recent untimely rainfall.
Having no other choice, the farmers have got down to the streets, demanding support from the government, he said.
Rajya Raitha Sangha president Badagalapura Nagendra said that the farmers have decided to take to the stir to claim their right.
Farmers from the district should be provided with a major share in the compensation announced by the Central and the state governments as they have incurred huge losses, he said.
MLC Shantheyanda Veena Achaiah said that the government should give up its stubbornness and should listen to the farmers’ issues.
The rally comprising tractors, jeeps, cars and bikes travelled to Mysuru via T Shettigeri, Hudikeri, Ponnampet, Gonikoppa, Titimati and Anechowkuru.
A protest will be held in front of Freedom Park in Bengaluru on January 26.
ZP member Mukkatira Shivu Madappa, Lt Col Baleyada Kalaiah, Codava National Council president N U Nachappa, former MLC C S Arun Machaiah and others were present.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS Gonikoppa / January 26th, 2021
Coffee growers from Kodagu, who are seeking minimum support price (MSP) for coffee, will join the farmers’ protest scheduled to be held in Bengaluru on January 26 against the Centre’s farm bills.
The coffee growers are seeking to draw attention to their predicament over coffee prices remaining stagnant for more than 20 years while the costs they incurred on labour and other agricultural inputs including fertilizers have increased manifold.
“One 50 kg bag of robusta coffee used to fetch ₹3,000 in the mid- and late nineties. The price has remained unchanged more than two decades later also” said Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) leader from Kodagu Manu Somaiah.
Coffee growers are putting up with the stagnant prices of coffee while shouldering the burden of rising costs of labour and other agricultural inputs, he said and sought to know why the State is refusing to extend MSP to coffee when neighbouring Kerala was extending the same to its growers.
“About a week ago, we held a meeting and decided to press for our demand for MSP for coffee”, said Mr. Somaiah. “When Kerala, which produces barely 20 per cent of the country’s coffee production, can extend MSP, why can’t Karnataka, which accounts for more than two-thirds of India’s coffee production do the same?”, he questioned.
He said their appeals for MSP are met with the standard reply that coffee was a commercial crop that is not entitled for support price. “But, when Kerala government can do it, what logical explanation can Karnataka government give?”, he asked.
The coffee growers of Kodagu have been at the receiving end of nature’s fury during the last three years when the region was struck by landslides and floods, causing widespread damage to the crop.
Mr. Somaiah recalled that the coffee growers were receiving remunerative prices when it was regulated by Coffee Board till the early nineties. But, it shifted to open market policy soon thereafter on the same promise that the present farm bills are assuring – that the farmers will earn more. But, it was not to be, he regretted adding that the prices are now determined by the trading in New York and London Stock Exchanges.
Mr. Somaiah said the coffee growers in Kodagu are also upset with the State government and Centre over the falling price of black pepper, which is grown as inter-crop. The price of black pepper had reached ₹900 per kg till the Centre started allowing imported pepper from Vietnam and other countries to flood the domestic market and bring down the prices to the level of ₹300 per kg, he lamented.
The coffee growers of Kodagu are joining forces with the farmers from the rest of the State, who are planning to gather in Bengaluru on January 26. The coffee growers from Kodagu will gather at Kutta on January 25 before leaving in about 150 vehicles towards Bengaluru. The coffee growers will hold demonstrations in Ponnampet and Gonikoppa before spending the night in Mandya and proceeding to Freedom Park in Bengaluru on January 26.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / Mysuru – January 23rd, 2021
Women in Kodagu are increasingly learning cultivation and becoming self-reliant
Madikeri :
Don’t underestimate the mushrooms. They are having their moment. This is a story about homemakers in Kodagu district. And it is also a story about mushrooms. “I grew up wanting to do something unique,” says Ambika Achaiah, 35, a budding entrepreneur from Cheyyandane village. While Ambika dreamt of starting a unique venture, she was married off after completion of her degree and nearly 10 years passed in managing home and hearth.
Nevertheless, her ambition to achieve something different was reignited when she stumbled upon a radio broadcast about free training for mushroom cultivation in 2019. “I was excited when I learnt of it. I travelled nearly 60 km to Krishi Vignyana Kendra in Gonikoppal to avail the training under the National Skill Development Corporation programme,” recalls Ambika. While she thought that it would last a day, she was shocked to learn that it was a 25-day course. Encouraged by KVK scientist Dr Somashekar, Ambika completed it and received a certification in oyster mushroom cultivation.
Ambika is currently working at the mushroom cultivation lab in KVK and experimenting on different varieties of mushroom cultivation. “I started off with spawn cultivation. But now I am versatile in mushroom tissue culture and the entire process of mushroom cultivation. I have applied for a loan and I will soon set up my own unit at my house,” she says.
While she is involved in developing the popular oyster mushroom variety, she is also experimenting on cultivating the seasonal milky mushroom. Apart from the cultivation process, she trains other like-minded homemakers. “Various women cooperative societies and other self-help groups invite me for motivational talk. I encourage women to take up the profitable mushroom business and I have also provided training for a few women in mushroom cultivation,” Ambika says.
Rashmi Bharadwaj, 40, is also a homemaker. She indulged in gardening – especially in orchid cultivation – as a hobby and sometimes even earned some pocket money. However, it has been nearly two years since Rashmi stepped into the field of mushroom cultivation and today she runs her own unit. “I run a mushroom cultivation unit on contract basis with KVK in Gonikoppal. It would take nearly Rs 15 lakh to establish a unit. However, it was easier for me to work on contract as I did not have to worry about initial investment. And all the equipment is readily available,” says Rashmi.
After being a homemaker for several years, she started working for a minimum remuneration at a mushroom spawn cultivation unit. But after eight months into this job, she started cultivating oyster mushrooms from scratch and she now sells 100 to 120 harvested oyster mushroom bags per day. “I work from 9 am to 5 pm every day. Apart from the ready-to-cook oyster mushroom bags, I also manufacture Ready To Fruit Bags, which sell like hot cakes among mushroom farmers,” she explains. Ready to Fruit bags (RTF) are mushroom seeded and grown straw bags of oyster mushrooms.
The clients who buy them have to cut out a few holes in these RTF bags and keep them in a well-lit area (not under direct sunlight) and sprinkle water regularly. Oyster mushrooms bloom from these packets, without the risk of any contamination and effortlessly within five to seven days. Another shining example is Lakshmi, 55, who worked as a domestic help and switched many jobs in between even as she worked as a hospital help at daily wages for 25 years until recently. “I worked at a hospital as a cleaning staffer for many years. But I wanted to become self-reliant,” she recalls.
Lakshmi stumbled upon the mushroom cultivation training programme and she found her path to independence. She is cultivating mushrooms on a small scale and has set up her own unit in a single bedroom. “Contamination-free is the key to mushroom cultivation and the business gets profitable only when the set-up is unpolluted. I collect paddy straws from a known people, bake and dry the straw, purchase mushroom growing bags and start spawn cultivation by keeping the bags under the cot – where the temperature is less and visibility is low,” says Lakshmi.
Though she is self-reliant, she says, “I am unable to manufacture mushrooms on a large scale as I lack the required funds to purchase improved facilities. However, I am happy with my small scale set-up, which is better than working for someone.”
Oyster Mushrooms After White Button, oyster mushrooms are mostly cultivated and consumed across India. These have many health benefits as they are rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals and fibres, and low in calories. They are believed to help increase immunity.
Women Turn Entrepreneurs The mushrooms, bought by customers across Kodagu, are not just making for a tasty treat but are enabling entrepreneurship skills among many women. The cultivated mushrooms are sold throughout the year at local markets, and even home delivery is available on request.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States>Karnataka / by Prajna G R / Express News Service / January 17th, 2021
Last week, we got some bitter news about something sweet. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) reported that when they subjected 13 prominent brands selling honey to a sophisticated test in Germany for adulteration, except three, all other brands failed.
The only three brands that passed were Saffola, Markfed Sohna and Nature’s Nectar.
As fear of refined sugar has increased, so also adulteration of other sources of sweetness. Best example is jaggery.
As jaggery gained popularity as an alternate to sugar, its adulteration started. Mandya jaggery was very popular until jaggery makers from Uttar Pradesh came calling and started adding chemicals to rapidly increase production capacity and visual appeal.
In a report submitted to the Government by the Co-operation Department, it found chemicals like “calcium hydroxide, sodium hydrosulphite (hydrose), sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate (safolite), ortho-phosphoric acid, seashells, baking soda, oil (castor/coconut) and orange-red powder (artificial food colouring) in jaggery blocks”! We educated urbanites find it hard to even pronounce the names of these chemicals which makes us wonder if farmers are making jaggery or chemical engineers?
This is a serious issue because India accounts for over 70% of world’s jaggery production and such practices will ruin our reputation and income. Already Mandya jaggery brand has taken a hit as the use of chemicals has significantly reduced its shelf-life which has forced many wholesalers to sell their product in distress.
We in India don’t seem to take food adulteration seriously. Be it the Government, the producer or the consumer. It is common knowledge that fruit-sellers use calcium carbide because it reacts with the moisture emanated by the respiration of the fruit. And when it does, a gas called acetylene emanates which helps in ripening the fruit. This gas is carcinogenic! Yet, rarely do you see the Government personnel raiding these “ripening sheds.”
Vegetables are not spared either. Bittergourd and lady’s finger are dipped in copper sulphate water to make them look greener. Brinjals are coated with old oil to give them a shine; carrots are dipped in red dye-water and watermelons injected with gulal to make them red from inside. Rarely do you see officials confronting, let alone arresting these colouring artists.
Most of us turn a blind eye to this saying that we cook hot meals and all “these things die”… not really.
But the fallout of this food adulteration should be the rebirth of kitchen gardens and organic farms. It’s time to move on from show gardens to kitchen gardens.
Every year during Dasara the Government has a competition for the “Most beautiful home garden.” May be the same publicity must be given to “Best kitchen garden.”
P.S.: Speaking of organic food, once a husband went to a store to shop for his wife who was very health-conscious and wanted organic, pesticide-free vegetables. The husband walked upto the section where he saw vegetables stacked and asked the sales man if the vegetables were organic. The sales boy didn’t understand. The irritated husband picked up some vegetables and said, “Listen, my wife is health-crazy. So I need to know have these vegetables been sprayed with any harmful pesticides?”
The petrified sales man replied, “No, Sir. You’ll have to do that yourself!”
Ramakrishna Ashram Swamijiand Coorg Honey
Speaking of bees and honey, once upon a time Coorg was the top producer of honey.
In the early 1940s, there used to be a Government-appointed “Bee Man” whose job was to go from house to house, from estate to estate, teaching planters about the importance of bees to the environment and also teach them how to maintain a Bee Box and extract honey.
In fact, Scientific Bee farming in Kodagu was initiated by Sri Shambhavananda Swamiji, the man who founded the Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala in Mysuru. In 1928, when Swami Shambhavananda became the first President of Sri Ramakrishna Saradashrama in Ponnampet, Kodagu, he initiated a project for Bee-keeping. Since he was born in Kodagu as Chengappa into the Thelapanda family, he knew that Kodagu was very suitable for bee-keeping and could contribute to the local economy.
Sri Shambhavananda Swamiji
Soon he prepared the first apiary and in 1936 set up the ‘Coorg Honey and Wax Producers Co-operative Society Ltd.’ This became the first honey producers co-operative in India.
Shambhavananda Swamiji even developed a new method of bee-keeping now known as ‘Coorg Standard Hive.’ No wonder Coorg came to produce almost 50% of all honey produced in Karnataka.
Now, if any one has space around their homes or in their farms there are many workshops that teach bee-keeping. In fact, there is an Apiculture Training Centre at Bhagamandala, Kodagu, where one can take a few weeks training in bee-keeping.
It may be recalled that the Government in 2014, to increase production and marketing of Coorg Honey, ordered the setting up of a “Honey Park” at Bhagamandala, Kodagu. The park was to be managed by the Food Processing Division of the Agriculture
Department. Later, Rs. 60 lakh was also released for the project. An old building was refurbished and not much else has been heard. Now, six years on neither is there a Park nor is there any Honey. Guess, like most Government projects it was all about the “Money Honey”?
e-mail: vikram@starofmysore.com
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Columns in Black & White / by Vikram Muthanna / December 19th, 2020
Ponnampet Forestry College Dean calls upon growers to maintain quality from estate to cuppa; 18th AGM of Kodagu Mahila Coffee Jagruthi Sangha held
Madikeri:
Coffee growers should give priority for cultivating tasty coffee naturally, said Ponnampet Forestry College Dean Dr. Cheppudira G. Kushalappa.
He was speaking at the 18th Annual General Body meeting of Kodagu Mahila Coffee Jagruthi Sangha held at a private hotel in Madikeri recently. Though Vietnam and Brazil produces large quantity of coffee, they are unable to get back the amount invested in coffee cultivation. They use highest quality of fertilisers to cultivate the crop and most of the finances are drained out here.
The growers of Kodagu must concentrate on cultivating coffee naturally by reducing the use of fertilisers. There are 360 species of trees inside the coffee estates in Kodagu. As a result, the ground gets good manure. This is the reason why Kodagu coffee is famous across the world.
“The undeniable natural beauty and abundance in Kodagu — from rainfall to fertile soil and diverse water sources — has made the region a highly sought-after location to cultivate coffee. Coffee flourishes in a unique blend of climatic conditions that includes humidity, heat and rainfall. Kodagu is ideal for these conditions and the slopes of the Western Ghats ensure orthographic rainfall that measure between 60 to 80 inches,” he said.
The abundant species of shaded trees work together in a two-tier system to protect coffee plants. These trees also prevent soil erosion and provide mulch to act as fertiliser. “The soil of Kodagu is rich with nitrogenous material and has a good sub-surface drainage,” he said and called upon growers to maintain quality from the estate to the cuppa.
Coffee Board quality expert Vikram Kuttaiah said that the prices of coffee have not increased drastically for the last 25 years. The maintenance of Arabica coffee was Rs. 25,000 per acre 25 years ago and now it has reached Rs. 80,000 per acre. The maintenance of Robusta variety has increased from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 60,000.
“The maintenance costs have increased manifold but the prices of coffee has remained stagnant. There is a huge disparity between production costs and end profits. There is a situation where the grower has to be satisfied with meagre income,” he explained.
Kodagu Mahila Coffee Jagruthi Sangha President Pandikuthira Chitra Subbaiah said that the Sangha has been creating awareness about Coorg Coffee since the last 18 years. Sangha Director Kumari Kunjappa has been provided permission by Kodagu District Administration to open an outlet at Coorg Village that is coming up near Raja’s Seat in Madikeri, she said.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / December 14th, 2020
Biddatanda Ramesh Changappa and Mallanda Madhu Devaiah were elected as the president and vice president of Kodagu district Hopcoms in Madikeri.
Biddatanda Ramesh Changappa has been elected as the president of Kodagu district Hopcoms, while Mallanda Madhu Devaiah has been elected as the vice president.
S P Ponnappa, Padiyammana V Mahesh, Leela Medappa, Sathish, Machimanda D Ganapathi, H M Sudheer, Baby Poovaiah, B A Harish, Nagesh Kundalpadi, Umesh Rao Urs, Poovappa Nayak and K M Manohar were elected as the directors.
The election was held in the office of the horticulture department.
Speaking on the occasion, the newly elected president said that various programmes will be organised through Hopcoms in the district in the coming days.
Measures will be taken to purchase the farm produce directly from farmers at a better price, he added.
Vice president Mallanda Madhu Devaiah said that it is a huge responsibility and he will strive for the betterment of Hopcoms.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / November 27th, 2020
Harvesting new crops is always a much-awaited occasion, with many festivals revolving around this event. One such harvest festival celebrated by Kodavas is Puthari (which translates to new rice), and it marks the first harvest of the paddy crop.
Puthari is celebrated in the Kodava month of Birchiyar, which falls in November and December. This year Puthari is on November 30.
“In the past, rice cultivation was what brought prosperity to Kodagu. There are beautiful images in our folk narratives of caravans of oxen, loaded with rice, setting off from ancestral homes to neighbouring regions indicating a thriving rice trade. Puthari celebrates the new crop of rice that promises a year of abundance; it’s a time of thanksgiving, and is the most important festival of the year,” says Kaveri Ponnapa, the author of The Vanishing Kodavas.
On a predetermined day, at a fixed time after dusk, the Nere Kattuvo ceremony is first held, wherein leaves of certain trees are tied together and later placed at different corners of the house. Men in traditional kupya chele and women wearing Kodava saree then go to the paddy field, led by a woman holding a taliyakki bolcha (lamp) under the light of the full moon.
Here the Khadh Edpo ceremony is held. The eldest man of the family called the patedara cuts an odd number of paddy sheaves (khadh) and they return carrying the harvested crop in a kuthi (a sacred bamboo container) while uttering Poli Poli deva — praying for a bountiful year.
The paddy sheaves are placed in front of the nellaki bolcha (sacred lamp) at the ainmane (ancestral home) and people pray for a good harvest. Then two special types of desserts — thambutt (made from roasted rice flour and mashed banana) and rice payasa — are prepared.
The day ends with children bursting firecrackers and a wholesome meal.
Traditionally, Puthari would be followed by week-long celebrations. On the days following Puthari, a few people would go door-to-door visiting every house in the hamlet and sing songs eulogising the family members of that house, beating a dudi (traditional hourglass drum). This formed part of the mane paado (singing at houses) ceremony. Children of the hamlet would tag along with these singers in merriment.
On the last day of the celebrations, people would visit the mandh, the sacred grounds of the village, and men would perform kol aat, a traditional stick dance.
Men performing Kol aat as part of Puthari celebrations. DH File Photo
Building solidarity
“Rice cultivation is a community-oriented activity — one had to rely on neighbours to help with transplanting and harvesting. So, you find that many of the customs — the dances, feasts, the bringing in of new household implements and so on — are all directed at building solidarity. It’s also a time when we reconnect with our own clans; the dudi patkaras (traditional singers) walk from one ancestral home to another, singing the histories of clans, re-establishing our links with our heritage, and the land,” says Kaveri.
While many Kodavas have moved outside of Kodagu for their careers, Puthari is still celebrated in the same spirit of togetherness. Kodava families in a region get together, and celebrate this festival upholding the traditions.
“Since we stay in Bengaluru, every year on Puthari, we make it a point to go to Bangalore Kodava Samaja, which we regard as our ainmane in the city. There we symbolically harvest some paddy crop and bring back home the paddy sheaves to the tunes of Poli Poli deva,” says Mundanda Sudha Poovaiah, an advocate practicing in Bengaluru.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Spectrum> Spectrum Statescan / by Dhanyata M Poovaiah , Bengaluru / November 18th, 2020
Revenue department workers take over the gomala land at Arji village in Virajpet taluk and secure it by erecting fences. Credit: DH.
Revenue department workers took over 15.12 acres of gomala land identified through the survey at Arji village in Virajpet taluk on Tuesday and secured the land by erecting fences.
Thirty days ago, the taluk Gomala Samrakshana Horata Samiti had staged a protest and urged the local administration to preserve the gomala land in Arji.
Tahsildar Nandish, after holding a discussion with the committee, had ordered for a survey of the land. Accordingly, the survey department identified the 15.12 acres of land and handed over the map to the tahsildar.
The tahsildar, with the cooperation of the villagers of Arji, took over the land and installed fences.
The official meanwhile assured that all gomala land will be cleared of encroachments and the same will be protected.
Twenty-three acres of gomala land has been encroached upon. Notices will be served to 51 people to clear the encroachments within the next 30 days, he said.
Also, a five-acre land was reserved for the construction of KSRTC bus depot. Currently, the land is vacant. If the said land is taken over by the revenue department, 28 more acres of land will be recovered.
Including the land recovered on Tuesday, a total of 43.12 acres of land will be added to the gomala, he added.
Virajpet Taluk Panchayat president Smitha Prakash, Zilla Panchayat member Acchapanda Mahesh Ganapathy, Taluk Panchayat member B M Ganesh, district BJP unit former president Suja Kushalappa, Gomala Samrakshana Samiti convener M M Ravindra, members Purushottam, Ramaiah and others were present.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Virajpet / November 25th, 2020
If carried out with hard work and passion, farming will not only bring satisfaction but will also support the livelihood, opined Podamada Mohan, a progressive agriculturist from Balele Devanuru village.
Mohan has been cultivating paddy on only two hectares of land. However, he has been able to harvest an average of 62 quintals of paddy per hectare, annually. This is made possible owing to the innovative methods of irrigation, pest control and so on.
For his commitment towards agriculture, he has been awarded the taluk-level progressive farmer award in Virajpet, for the year 2015-16.
Mohan has been cultivating Atira and Tunga varieties of paddy. Now, both the varieties are almost ready for harvest. He has maintained cleanliness in the paddy farm by removing the shrubs.
Manure
He said that a mixture of DAP, Urea and Potash are provided to the crops in the quantity of 20 kg per acre, at the time of transplantation. This will help in the faster growth of paddy sheaths.
The process of providing fertiliser is repeated twice, with a gap of one month. The high-lying area of the paddy farm, which is known as ‘Nippuni’ is provided with 100% manure while the low lying ‘Kippani’ area is provided with 20% of manure.
The paddy farm has not been affected by any disease. Mohan has made sure to spray insecticide 15 days before the transplantation.
This will control the disease at the initial level, he said.
No takers
Mohan lamented that 45 quintals of unsold rice from last year, is remaining at his house. Even though the rate is Rs 1,125 per quintal, there are no takers.
No suitable market price is available at the APMC as well. The low price is discouraging for many farmers, said Mohan.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Gonikoppa / November 10th, 2020
Chairman of Government Land Protection Committee for maintaining the status quo until the joint survey on lands was done
Former Speaker and Government Land Protection Committee Chairman K.G. Bopaiah on Saturday told the Kodagu forest authorities not to cause any inconvenience to farmers of the district until the joint survey of lands categorised in ‘C’ and ‘D’ class was done.
Speaking at the taluk KDP meeting in Madikeri, the MLA said he had received complaints that small farmers cultivating coffee in “Paisari” lands since many decades are now facing hurdles in pursuing their profession. “Such complaints should not persist. We should imagine the plight of such farmers in Bhagamandala, Sampaje, Kalooru, Birunani, and other places which had been hit by successive floods.”
During the meeting, Veena Achaiah, MLC, said many paddy fields in Makkandur, K Nidugani and Madhe gram panchayat limits had been affected in the 2018 floods and added that sand, mud and uprooted trees had collected in the lands. A special package should be announced for these places and in the interest of farmers but no effort has been made in this connection yet.
On the occasion, Mr Bopaiah told the Kodagu ZP engineers to take up works on priority and complete the bridge construction work in Korangala and Chirangala. Bridges in these two villages had collapsed in heavy rains in August this year.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – November 07th, 2020
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