The All India Areca Growers’ Association, Puttur, has urged the Union government to increase the minimum import price of arecanut from ₹351 to ₹451 a k.g.

The association said on Tuesday (June 23) that the cost of production of arecanut has touched to ₹450 a k.g.

“The minimum import price should be hiked to protect the interests of domestic growers,” president of the association Mahesh Puchchappady and secretary C.G. Venkatagirish said in a release.

As farmers have to deal with both ‘kole roga’ (fruit rot disease) and leaf spot disease in arecanut plantations, several rounds of Bordeaux mixture spraying are required to control the diseases. Hence, wages and other input and maintenance costs have also increased significantly, adding to the production cost.

The Union government should take immediate steps to completely ban the import of poor quality areca nuts, they said, adding that the influx of poor quality arecanut will result in a price crash in the domestic market.

Copper sulphate prices up

The association said that farmers heavily depend on Bordeaux mixture for controlling ‘kole roga’, which hits arecanut plantations during rainy season. Copper sulphate and lime are the main ingredients of the mixture. However, recently, there has been a shortage of raw materials required for the production of copper sulphate, especially sulfuric acid and copper, which has caused a supply problem. Hence, the price of copper sulphate has increased and some reports say poor quality of products have entered the market. In this context, the government should implement strict guidelines for quality control.

Alternative sprays

The association said the horticulture departments of the Union and State governments and the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) should come out with recommendations on effective sprays that can be used as an alternative to Bordeaux mixture. Like in the case of copper sulphate, the government should provide subsidy to farmers for using government-recommended alternative disease control products. In addition, there is a need to increase the subsidy and quantity (of copper sulphate covered under subsidy) already being provided to copper sulphate. Farmers now need to spray Bordeaux mixture at least four to five times against two to three times earlier, to control the fruit rot disease. Hence, more quantity of copper sulphate is required to control the diseases.

They said that the government should simplify the procedure of renewing gun licence issued to farmers to protect crops from wild animals.