Kodagu’s Ginger Farmers Face Crisis as Prices Crash, Diseases Spread

Ginger growers in the district are currently grappling with a severe crisis

Madikeri: Kodagu, known for its rich cultivation of coffee, pepper, cardamom, and paddy, is also a key region for ginger farming. However, ginger growers in the district are currently grappling with a severe crisis as plunging prices and rampant crop diseases particularly soft rot and bacterial wilt have brought them to the brink.

Farmers recall a time when a 60-kg sack of ginger would fetch between ₹4,500 and ₹5,000. Today, that same quantity sells for as low as ₹500–₹600, leaving cultivators in deep financial distress. Alongside this price crash, widespread infections such as yellowing, soft rot, and bacterial wilt have damaged vast tracts of farmland, worsening the plight of growers.

HN Rajashekar, President of the Mysuru-Kodagu Ginger Growers and Traders Association, voiced his concerns in a report in the TOI, stating, “Ginger cultivation is under serious threat. Farmers are incurring heavy losses due to diseases that are spreading uncontrollably. The government must intervene and offer compensation of up to ₹3 lakh per acre to affected farmers.”

He urged agricultural officers to conduct immediate inspections and submit detailed damage reports to the government. “Many growers have lost lakhs of rupees this season. If support doesn’t arrive soon, it could further push farmers into debt,” he added.

Rajashekar also called for the introduction of a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of ₹2,000 per 60-kg bag of ginger to help stabilise income for cultivators. With the situation worsening, farmers are pleading with the state to act swiftly to prevent a collapse in ginger production in Kodagu.

To advertise on The Kodagu Express website, kindly call us at 9108795369 or mail us at thekodaguexpress@gmail.com 

Join The Kodagu Express WhatsApp Group: CLICK HERE 

Follow us on Instagram and X(Twitter)