Panamaram: Ripe coffee berries are going withered as there is a severe shortage of workers to harvest them. Besides, coffee shrubs and berries are also widely destroyed by animals like civets, monkeys, deer, peacock and wild elephants. Meanwhile, coffee planters complain that they are also bothered by thieves who steal the ripe berries.

They urge the authorities to stop MGNREGA works during the harvest season so that workers would be available. Coffee planters in the rural areas and areas close to the forests haven’t been able to harvest the coffee beans in time as there is a dearth of workers.

Ripe coffee berries split open and the bean gets separated when they are not harvested on time. Besides, the persistent rains and the cloudy weather too are not helping the coffee farmers. Viruses too attack the coffee plant, significantly reducing its yield. The rains cause the coffee plants to bloom often, which will adversely affect the harvest.

Even if the coffee is harvested on time, the farmers find it difficult to dry the beans in the cloudy weather. Farmers say that although coffee enjoy good price in the market, they are not able to harvest and sell them. Good sunlight is essential for the coffee cherries to ripen evenly. However, the berries are getting ripened unevenly as sun barely makes an appearance.

Coffee plantation has been severely affected by the drastic climate change in the region. The farmers are unable to harvest the berries or dry the beans although its already harvest season. The coffee beans should be sun dried for at least 10 to 12 days to develop flavour. But, it is not possible in the cloudy weather. Paddy farmers in the state too face the same crisis.