Sale of groundnuts low as farmers take drought’s brunt

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The streets surrounding the Bull Temple in Basavanagudi was in full bloom for the annual groundnut festival “Kadlekayi Parishe,” on Monday.

The streets, which was filled with thousands, was high on vibes and on the smell of roasted groundnuts, as people from various parts of the city treated their taste buds with other fast foods.

On Monday, students from the nearby Bhusanayana Mukundadas Sreenivasaiah colleges (BMS) had thronged the roads and took in a lifetime experience of festivities and adventurous rides.

The stretch, which was 500 metres long, was host to other businesses, ranging from home needs to handmade crafts.

“This festival brings out the beauty of this street,” said one. “This festival is of religious significance to me, as I pray to Lord Ganesha and Basava,” said another.

Without vendors and farmers from other neighbouring states showcasing varieties of groundnuts, imagining this festival would be a predicament. However, vendors have complained of poor sales, due to low yield.

Devayani, who had brought homegrown Groundnuts from Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu claimed that the quality of these groundnuts are not as good as last year.

“The droughts and lack of water sources has compromised the quality of the Groundnuts,” she explained as she shows how the skins are not strong enough.

“A weak layered peanut means the peanut is not good,” she added.

Saroja, who hails from Salem, Tamil Nadu explained rainfall from the previous and current year not helping her cause.

“In 2022, Heavy rainfall had washed away most of our produce. This year's lack of rainfall has given low yield,” she said.