Continuous heavy rainfall in Harihar taluk of Davangere district, Karnataka, has severely impacted garlic cultivation, leaving farmers with major losses. In Ere Hosahalli village alone, over 300 acres (121 hectares) of garlic have been destroyed due to excess moisture, affecting growers who had invested heavily in the crop.
Garlic is the primary crop in Ere Hosahalli and has been cultivated there for decades. Farmers had expected strong yields this season, but persistent rainfall over the past three months has waterlogged fields, causing the bulbs to rot before harvest. "We spent between US$360 and US$480 per acre, but all of it has gone to waste. The crop has rotted in the fields, and we cannot recover even 10% of our costs. The government must conduct a crop-loss survey and give us compensation," said farmer Sanjeev Reddy.
Normally, garlic yields in the area reach 10 to 11 quintals per acre. This season, output has fallen to 3 to 4 quintals. Some growers attempted to salvage the crop for drying, but continuing rains prevented recovery. "I have been cultivating garlic for 15 years, but this is the first time we are facing such complete destruction. Even if we pay laborers to harvest, it won't fetch returns," said farmer Ashok Reddy.
Losses have extended beyond garlic. Farmers reported damage to onions and maize as well. Ashok explained that his family sowed garlic on seven acres at a cost of US$2,520, along with three acres of onion and 15 acres of maize. "The onion crop also failed, and now garlic has collapsed too. This year we have suffered unprecedented losses," he said.
The local market price for garlic currently stands at US$240–360 per quintal, but the poor yields and damaged bulbs mean farmers are unable to recover expenses. Many fear increasing debt burdens. "We demand a proper survey of losses and at least minimum compensation per acre. Without this, small farmers will not survive this crisis," said Sanjeev Reddy.
Source: HansIndia
