Coffee growers seek assistance from Karnataka, Centre

MADIKERI: Kodagu Coffee Growers Federation has demanded financial help from the Union and state governments. Heavy rain for three years and floods have affected the growers, due to which they could not repay their loans and could not maintain their plantations.
Federation president Harish Appaiah has sent memorandums to the Prime Minister, finance minister and commerce minister, explaining the serious financial problems faced by coffee growers.He requested them to help small growers, whose plantations are smaller than 10ha, by waiving their loans. He requested for waiving interest on loans for growers having plantations that are larger than 10ha. He appealed to give fresh loans at a reduced interest rate of 3%, and to provide 10 years for the repayment of pending loans. He recalled a recent discussion with Union finance minister Nirmala Seetharaman, where they had explained to her about the problems faced by coffee growers, through a webinar.