TN Farmers Seek Urgent Help From Govt As Trees Face Axe

Chennai: A severe outbreak of Kerala Root Wilt Disease has placed coconut farmers in Tamil Nadu’s (TN) Coimbatore district in a deep crisis, with nearly 28 lakh trees spread across 40,000 acres facing imminent felling. The distressed TN farmers are calling for urgent help from the state government as they face major losses. The disease, caused by a phytoplasma infection, has been spreading rapidly since 2019.

With no effective cure available, farmers have no option but to axe infected trees. Despite Kerala reportedly containing the disease through coordinated efforts, Tamil Nadu’s horticulture department has come under criticism for failing to implement meaningful control measures. “This disease was eradicated in Kerala, but here in Tamil Nadu, the authorities have not taken any serious initiative. The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University researchers have done little more than draw funds for six years without providing concrete solutions,” said M. Saravanan, a coconut farmer from Coimbatore.

Tamil Nadu has the second-largest area under coconut cultivation in India, after Karnataka, covering around 12 lakh acres in 29 districts.

Coconut is also the second-largest oil crop in the state, after groundnut.