Pepper has become next generation crop in cyclone-hit Kodaikanal, lament farmers

One of the worst-affected lot are those who grew pepper, popularly referred to as the ‘king of spices’. Standing only next to chillies and turmeric in terms of export, pepper contributes significantly to the foreign exchange revenue.

However, it has now become a next generation crop since many silver oak trees, which support vine growing black pepper, have been left damaged. According to the farmers, it would take a minimum of six to seven years to raise the trees again with the yield of pepper taking five more years. Close to 1 lakh silver oak trees grown in Meenakshi Oothu-Thandigudi range have been uprooted, they added.

V Ashok, belonging to Kodalankadu village near Thandigudi, is one of the several disappointed farmers whose income has been hit. “I expected a yield worth Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 lakh per acre of multi crops such as coffee and pepper. But the cyclone has taken a high toll on the output. Besides, 90 per cent of hill banana cultivated in my fields have been destroyed,” he said.

Another aggrieved farmer T V S N L Veera Arasu from Pattiveeranpatti, who owns farmlands in pockets of Kodaikanal, said around 10,000 acres of plantation have suffered damage during a span of five hours from 9 am on the fateful day. His farm alone accounts for a total of 7,947 fallen trees. “It costs Rs 3,500 to clear a fallen tree,” Veera Arasu said, urging banks to provide grace period to repay the loans.

Revealing the extent of the damage sustained, Deputy Director of Horticulture (Kodaikanal) K Narayanasamy said crops grown in 7,200 out of the total 35,000 hectares in Kodaikanal taluk comprising sixteen revenue villages have been damaged.

“Of the 6,500 hectares in total, coffee plantation in 3,900 hectares have been damaged, mostly in the lower hills of KC Patti and Thandigudi. Fruit crops cultivated in around 200 hectares have also been hit. Apart from those belonging to Dindigul district, officials from Coimbatore, Erode and Karur districts had been engaged in taking stock of the crop damage,” he said.

The State Government has fixed compensation of Rs 7,140 per hectare of damaged rain-fed crops, Rs 12,000 for a hectare of damaged irrigated crops and Rs 18,000 for perennial crops, the Deputy Director added.

When contacted, Dindigul Collector T G Vinay told DTNext that about 99 per cent work in assessing crop damage has been completed. “Once the assessment work is over, the report would be submitted to the government. Farmers mostly suffered about 5 to 20 per cent damage. We are contemplating giving tissue culture banana saplings to the affected farmers for replanting,” Vinay said.