Madikeri: The coffee growers of Kodagu are in distress. This is the time Kodagu should have received rainfall that is favourable for the coffee blossoms.

Usually, the region received rainfall during first week of February and March, initiating coffee blossoms. But, since there are no signs of rains arriving, the coffee growers have kept their fingers crossed.

While the ones having sprinkler irrigation systems in place will manage to get the blossoms, the ones without it are only gazing at the skies, seeking for a rendezvous with rainfall.

Once the growers sprinkle water, the buds start blossoming and once the white flowers are in full bloom, the growers sprinkle water again so that the coffee beans start growing. However, the tragedy is that while the growers manage to sprinkle water once, for the second sprinkle most of them run short of water!

As per records, only Napoklu and nearby areas have received the mandatory rainfalls and the coffee growers here are all smiles.

In rest of Kodagu, the coffee buds have withered away due to high temperature.

The locals recall the time when the coffee blossoms used to spread their tantalising fragrance all over the place and bees used to throng to the plantations.

Of late, they say honey bees have become a rare sight and vanishing of bees have already had adverse impact on coffee plants- as without the bees the process of pollination cannot take place.

All in all, the age old belief that agriculture in India is gamble with monsoons has proved out to be right in case of Kodagu coffee growers.