Resurfacing of the Nipah virus infection with fruit bats as suspected hosts has put hundreds of farmers who cultivate exotic fruits in the uplands areas of Kozhikode district in an unexpected crisis.
Farmers say they are experiencing a huge drop in the wholesale purchase of various fruits by retailers citing people’s reluctance to buy them following the outbreak. Even farmers who have protected their fields using nylon nets are finding it hard to sell the produce. The zoonotic disease has made a re-entry at a time when the farmers have been waiting for a good harvest and attractive prices.
