Mahali disease and relentless rains push areca nut farmers of Kannur into crisis

With the northeast monsoon gaining momentum, the areca nut farmers in Kannur are facing a distressful time. The continuous downpour has led to a surge in fruit rot (Mahali) disease, causing tender nuts to fall off before reaching maturity. The disease has affected farmers across high-range villages in Kasargod and Kannur districts, including Cherupuzha, Peringom, Vayakkara, Alakkodu, Udayagiri, East Eleri and West Eleri.

While farmers have been used to apply preventive medicines once or twice a year to prevent the disease, many now report that even after applying treatments four or five times, they have been unable to stop its spread. As a result, areca nut production has sharply declined this year.

Farmers also attribute their losses to the relentless rains. Tender areca nuts, which have not ripened, can fetch up to Rs. 140 per kilo if peeled and dried before reaching the market. However, the ongoing heavy rainfall has made drying nearly impossible. Meanwhile, the fall in production has pushed the price of mature areca nuts to as high as Rs. 470 per kilo, and traders indicate that prices may rise further in the coming days.

The combination of disease and low production has caused losses amounting to several lakh rupees for areca nut farmers this year. Those who lease areca nut farms are facing difficulties, while farmers with bank loans are struggling to repay due to the drop in yield.