Cocoa farmers battle rising wildlife menace in plantation belt

Vannappuram: Already hit by falling prices, cocoa farmers now find their harvest under constant threat from invading wildlife.

 As soon as cocoa pods begin to ripen, monkeys and Indian giant squirrels, locally known as Malayannan, arrive in groups and feed voraciously, quickly stripping the crop. The problem has been most severe in the hilly regions and forest fringe settlements, where even common squirrels have now added to the growing menace.

Giant squirrels that move into human settlements in search of food during the summer often fail to return to the forest, further aggravating the situation for farmers. In earlier times, the abundance of fruits such as jackfruit, mango and guava helped protect cocoa crops from major damage. However, with the decline in these natural food sources, squirrels and monkeys have increasingly begun settling in cocoa plantations, cutting yields by more than half.

The sharp fall in cocoa prices, at a time when production costs continue to rise, is pushing many farmers to gradually step away from cultivation. Farmers say dried cocoa once fetched nearly Rs. 1000 per kilogram last year. At present, the price of fresh cocoa has dropped to as low as around Rs. 85 per kilogram.

Farmers, however, remain hopeful that this is a temporary fluctuation driven by increased production and exports, with expectations of a price recovery in the near future. At the same time, they point out that it is the combined impact of wildlife intrusion and falling prices that is deepening the crisis, while also stressing that cultivation cannot continue without ensuring a fair and stable price for the produce.