Sun Mar 29 17:38:19 UTC 2026: ### Untimely Rains Devastate Ginger Crops in Shivamogga, Hassan, and Chikkamagaluru
The Story:
Unexpected heavy rainfall struck the districts of Shivamogga, Hassan, and Chikkamagaluru in Karnataka on Saturday, March 28, 2026, causing significant disruption to daily life and substantial losses for ginger growers. The downpour, accompanied by thunder and lightning, flooded roads, disrupted power supply, and left ginger produce, which was drying in the sun, soaked. Farmers now face considerable financial setbacks as the market value of their produce is threatened.
Key Points:
- Heavy rainfall occurred on Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Shivamogga, Hassan, and Chikkamagaluru districts.
- The rain flooded roads and disrupted power supply in Shivamogga city.
- Ginger growers suffered significant losses as their drying produce was drenched.
- Wet ginger is bought from growers at around ₹50 per kg, while dried ginger sells for about ₹250 per kg.
- Rainfall data for the 24 hours ending at 8:30 a.m. on March 29, 2026, showed that parts of Holenarasipura and Arkalgud taluks (Hassan) received between 31 mm and 58.5 mm of rainfall, Sorab, Sagar, and Shikaripur taluks (Shivamogga) received 34 mm to 49.4 mm, and Mudigere and Koppa taluks (Chikkamagaluru) recorded up to 40 mm.
Key Takeaways:
- Unpredictable weather patterns continue to pose a significant threat to agricultural livelihoods.
- The economic vulnerability of farmers is exacerbated by the price fluctuations between wet and dry ginger.
- Infrastructure in the affected districts appears to be susceptible to disruption from heavy rainfall.
First Piper 