Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing Processing Cooperative Limited President Rangamurthy has called for extending social security benefits for labourers in agriculture sector.
Speaking after inaugurating group insurance scheme for farmers and agriculture labourers launched by Malnad Areca Marketing Cooperative Society on Monday he said that along with problems like price fall, pest attack, natural calamities, problem of shortage of labour is acute in agriculture sector.
Education has become easily accessible for poor and educated youths are moving towards metropolitan centres in search of better avenues and opportunities. Agriculture as a profession is losing sheen. Part of income from land should go for labourers and farmers should take measures to retain the labourers, he stated.
Commenting on cheap import of areca from abroad, he attributed slump in areca price to the same. Delegation comprising former minister R V Deshapande, representatives from Campco, Mamcos, State Areca Marketing Cooperative Union had met Union Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar and Union Minister for Commerce Kamal Nath in New Delhi to discuss the problems faced by areca growers. State delegation had urged the Ministers for single port import of areca. Delegation had also suggested to import areca through Mangalore port and Union Government had also issued notification in this regard.
However traders from Kolkata has approached the court and secured stay order against the notification, he informed. Rangamurthy was optimistic that court’s verdict will be in favour of notification.
Unlawful practice
Alleging of unlawful trade practices in importing areca, he said that 53,000 tonne areca was imported last year at Rs 13.57 per kilogram but 2,800 tonne areca was exported during the same period at Rs 67 per kg. Demanding floor price for areca, he said that Rs 60 should be fixed for chali variety while Rs 85 should be fixed for red areca. By slapping 100 percent import duty, areca import can be controlled.
Delegation has written letter to Union Ministry of Finance in this regard, he revealed.
Rangamurthy also demanded for quality control measures in areca and demanded the Union Government to appoint nodal agency to assess the quality.
Speaking on the occasion, Director of Mamcos Raghavendra Rao informed that 4,378 farmers have come forward to register their names under group insurance scheme.
Along with these farmers, one labour working in plantation of each member will enjoy risk coverage under the scheme.
Areca form prime commercial crop in the region. Services of expert tree climber had to be availed during plucking the areca and spraying copper sulphate to foliage part of the tree against fungal infection.
Since the job is risky, group insurance scheme is beneficial for these labourers. Also deaths in farm while performing other risky jobs becomes liable for compensation under the scheme, he added.
Founder President of Campco Varanasi Subbaraya Bhat, Konkodi Padmanabha of Sahakara Bharati, Shantarama Hegde of State Areca Marketing Cooperative Union, Mahabala Bhat were felicitated on the occasion.
Seer Mallikarjuna Murugharajendra of Bekkinakalmutt graced the programme in which Vice President of Mamcos Narasimha Naik and others were present.
