Haveri: Heavy rains have wreaked havoc on crops across Haveri district, pushing distressed farmers to despair. In a shocking incident, a farmer from Aladakatti village used his tractor to uproot and destroy his standing cotton crop after continuous downpours left it diseased and unmanageable.

This year’s strong pre-monsoon showers had initially encouraged farmers to sow extensively. But excessive rainfall since then has damaged major crops like maize, cotton, soybean and groundnut. Red rot, powdery mildew and other fungal diseases have spread widely, while invasive weeds like nutgrass further worsened the condition of fields.

Farmer Basavaraj Mirji, who had cultivated cotton on four acres, said he was left with no option but to plough down his crop. “I spent about ₹25,000 per acre on cotton this season. But due to constant rains, I could neither apply fertilizer properly nor remove weeds. The crop simply did not grow as expected. Finally, I destroyed the cotton and will try to sow some alternative crop in the rabi season,” he told reporters.

He recalled how the rains disrupted every stage of farming. “When I sowed, it rained. When I applied fertilizer, it rained. When I sprayed pesticides, it rained. Even when I tried to remove weeds, rains prevented us from entering the field,” Mirji lamented.

Adding to the frustration, he said agricultural officials failed to provide timely guidance. “We feared herbicide use would harm soil fertility. We invested lakhs of rupees, but the cotton did not even cover our basic expenses. Now we ourselves have had to pay to destroy what we had grown,” he said.The problem is not isolated. In Aladakatti village alone, more than 200 acres of cotton crop have reportedly been damaged. Revenue officials have already begun a crop loss survey. Farmers are now demanding immediate compensation.

“We have spent at least ₹25,000 per acre. The government should provide us compensation of the same amount at the earliest. Crop insurance benefits from earlier seasons should also be released quickly,” the farmers appealed.

The incident underlines the growing challenges faced by Karnataka’s farmers who are caught between erratic weather, rising input costs and inadequate institutional support. For many, this season’s losses have been nothing short of devastating. r suicides?