‘Tur Bowl of Karnataka’ on the boil as dry spell destroys red gram crop

Mallinath Hullur, a 31-year-old farmer from Hawanur village in Afzalpur taluk of Kalaburagi district in Karnataka, was delighted to see the healthy red gram crop he had cultivated on six acres with hope and dedication. He had invested ₹1,00,000, which included borrowing from local moneylenders at a high rate of interest, in the crop. Mallinath had hoped for a yield of 30 quintals worth ₹3,50,000, which he planned to use to pay off both his old and new debts. His efforts appeared to be paying off as the crop grew healthy, fueling his dreams of becoming debt-free.

However, just as the crop reached its flowering and pod-setting stage, disaster struck. Approximately 20 days ago, the leaves began to wither due to a lack of moisture in the soil. Mallinath visited his field daily, helplessly watching the plants become dry and turn yellow. Within a week, his entire six-acre red gram crop was devastated. The once-hopeful farmer is now crushed, and his dreams of financial recovery have been shattered.

He went into depression. His health deteriorated. He, however, recovered to an extent after a week.

“The fresh loans taken for this crop have only added to my mounting pile of debt,” Mallinath told The Hindu on December 1, his voice filled with despair. “I nurtured the crop with care. The crop was healthy. I expected a good yield. I thought I would repay all my loans and be free of debt. But now, my situation is worse than ever.”

Compounding his struggles, Mallinath could not avail of crop insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), as the land is in the name of his late grandfather. Although the land title was transferred recently, the registration deadline had already passed.

A widespread crisis

Mallinath’s plight is not unique. In his village alone, hundreds of farmers are facing similar hardship. Around 300 acres of red gram crop has been completely destroyed. The damage is widespread across Kalaburagi district, known as the ‘Tur Bowl of Karnataka’.

Farmers’ leader Sharanabasappa Mamshetty, associated with the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha, claims that standing red gram crop on approximately 2 lakh hectares has been ruined in the district.

“Red gram was cultivated on about 6.22 lakh hectares in Kalaburagi this year, and 2 lakh hectares have been destroyed,” Mamshetty told The Hindu. “This is a natural disaster. The government must step in to provide immediate relief. We demand compensation of ₹25,000 per acre.” He warned of a large-scale protest, if the government fails to act, outside the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi when the winter session of the State legislature would be held.

The dry spell and its impact

According to officials in the Agriculture Department and scientists at Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Kalaburagi, the drying of the crops is a direct result of insufficient rainfall. As per the data, the region received about 5 mm of rainfall in November, compared to the normal 20 mm, translating to a 70% deficit at a critical stage of the crop’s growth.

Dried red gram crop on Mallinath Hullur’s field at Hawanur village in Afzalpur taluk of Kalaburagi district in Karnataka.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

“Flowering, pod-formation, and grain-filling are crucial stages for red gram. The crop requires ample water and nutrients during this period,” explained Samad Patel, Joint Director of Agriculture. “The lack of rainfall has severely affected the crop, particularly those grown in light, shallow black soil, which cannot retain moisture for long.”

Patel added that crops in areas with shallow soil — often only about one foot deep — are particularly vulnerable. When the soil dries out, it cracks, exposing the roots and causing the plants to die. The fungus Macrophomina phaseolina, which typically does not harm healthy plants, has thrived on the weakened crops, further exacerbating the damage.

Raju Teggelli, an entomologist and head of Kalaburagi’s Krishi Vigyan Kendra, emphasises that conserving soil moisture and providing water to plants wherever possible are the only ways to protect the standing crop.

Government response

Taking note of the crisis, Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner Fouzia Taranum visited some of the affected fields in Kalaburagi, Aland, and Afzalpur taluks to assess the situation. In an effort to reassure worried farmers, she announced that IFFCO-Tokio, the insurance company, had been instructed to release ₹76.94 crores under the localised calamity category.

Deputy Commissioner Fouzia Taranum visited farmers whose red gram crops had been hit, in Kalaburagi district on November 28, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
ARUN KULKARNI

“In a recent review meeting, I directed the insurance company to pay ₹76.94 crores to eligible 2 lakh insured farmers as interim relief under localised calamity,” Ms. Taranum explained. “I have also ordered a joint survey by the Agriculture and Revenue Departments to assess the extent of crop damage. The survey is currently under way, and we await the report.”

While this move provides some hope, it remains to be seen whether it will be enough to alleviate the immense hardships faced by farmers like Mallinath Hullur, whose once-promising crop has become a symbol of the harsh reality many face in the face of changing weather patterns and agricultural vulnerability.