Vaduvanchal: The stem rot disease in cardamom plants has brought the farmers of the district into crossroads. The infected plants are incapable of bearing any fruits resulting in huge loss.
The untimely rainfall in October caused severe damage to the cardamom farmers. Nearly 76 percent extra rainfall occurred this October. Following this, the plant stems turned yellow, leaves started drying and the plants slowly perished.
No fruits emerged on diseased plants, not even on the ones which bloomed. Farmers are worried about the loss. Those who follow organic farming methods are unable to resist this disease.
‘I have been cultivating cardamom for several decades. I have no clue on how to fight these tough times,’ says Varkey, a farmer from Kadachikunnu here. The fluctuating prices are already giving a tough time for the farmers and the current situation is an added disadvantage for them.
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