Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament Captain Brijesh Chowta has urged Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to enhance government financial support to arecanut growers to fight leaf spot and yellow leaf diseases recently in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament Captain Brijesh Chowta has urged Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan to enhance financial support to farmers in coastal and Malnad Karnataka to fight leaf spot and yellow leaf diseases as the existing support was far less to the actual costs.In a recent letter to Mr. Chouhan, the MP highlighted the serious economic and agrarian challenges from the spread of diseases that have adversely impacted arecanut plantations in Dakshina Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu and other arecanut-growing regions of Karnataka. Leaf Spot Disease (LSD), Capt. Chowta said has caused extensive damage to plantations and has become a major concern for lakhs of farmers dependent on arecanut cultivation.Inadequate supportWhile scientific management protocols developed by ICAR–Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) have provided a roadmap for disease management, implementation at the field level continues to face financial constraints. He said the Centre had earlier sanctioned ₹225 crore under a 60:40 funding formula. The assistance could not effectively be utilised following expenditure ceilings under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), which do not adequately reflect the actual cost of disease management recommended by CPCRI.He therefore requested the government to provide a specific exemption from existing MIDH expenditure limits for LSD management and align financial assistance with the actual scientific cost of treatment.16,000 hectares affectedCapt. Chowta also raised the issue of Yellow Leaf Disease (YLD), a long-standing phytoplasma-associated disease affecting nearly 16,000 hectares of plantations, particularly in Sullia taluk of Dakshina Kannada and parts of Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru districts. The disease causes progressive decline in palm health and productivity, severely affecting farm incomes.No curative treatment currently exists for YLD, he said, stressing the importance of supporting the management protocols developed by ICAR-CPCRI. He welcomed the scientific advances achieved by the institute, including the establishment of a modern diagnostic laboratory at Vitla and successful tissue-culture multiplication of YLD-tolerant elite palms.The MP noted that large-scale adoption of these technologies, along with high-tech irrigation systems and balanced nutrient management practices, would require substantial institutional and financial support. He urged the government to formulate a comprehensive support package to assist affected farmers. Published - June 09, 2026 08:08 pm IST
