Kodagu (also known by its former name Coorg) is an administrative district in the Karnataka state of India. The demand for Coorg oranges, also known as Coorg mandarins, has dropped in the state, owing to the Covid lockdown.
This variety is being grown in many coffee estates, being grown as a mixed crop on the estates, along with pepper twice a year in December and June. Grown on 8,000 hectares, this tiny district produces nearly 30,000 tons of mandarin. Many coffee estates have bountiful mandarin crop, but no buyers due to lockdown. Normally, coffee growers lease orange crop to Kerala-based traders. But this season there are hardly any buyers.
The crop is mostly exported to Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and other parts of Karnataka. Though Nagapur oranges have a good market in the state, with good taste and aroma, the Coorg variety has its own customer base. This season, growers see no hope of good markets for the produce. There are no takers locally either, as tourism has come to a standstill.
Source: thehansindia.com
