SCDCC Bank President M N Rajendra Kumar urged the State and Centre to announce ‘special package’ for arecanut.

Addressing a press meet here on Tuesday, he said undivided Dakshina Kannada district has incurred a loss of Rs 250 crore owing to the rot disease on arecanut plants.

An arecanut growers convention will be held on October 2, to urge the Centre and State to find out a solution for the problems faced by the areca growers in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district.

“The convention will not be held under any party banner. If any grower wishes to take up the responsibility of organising the convention, I will provide all support to him,” he said.

Though the convention was supposed to be held on September 6, owing to the announcement of local body election, the convention has been postponed.”

He said the government should not distribute special package through any mediators, but should be distributed through primary co-operative banks.

Vidharba package

Stating that Centre should extend Vidharba package to arecanut as well, he said State government should constitute ‘Adike belegarara Hitharakshana package’ for the betterment of areca growers in the State.

To make up the loss due to rot disease in arecanut, government should provide compensation of Rs 25,000 per hectare.

In Dakshina Kannada district, in 27,338 hectares of land, 27,066 tonne arecanut has been destroyed incurring a loss of Rs 194.85 crore. In Bantwal taluk, of 5,342 hectares of land, 5,868 tonne arecanuts have been destroyed, incurring a loss of Rs 42.24 crore; In Belthangady taluk, arecanuts grown in 7124 hectares of land, 8,103 tonne arecanuts have been destroyed, thus incurring a loss of Rs 58.34 crore.

In Puttur 5,162 tonne arecanuts have been destroyed with a loss of Rs 37.16 crore.  In Sullia taluk, loss of Rs 49.30 crore has been incurred with the destruction of 6,848 tonne arecanuts grown in 8,105 hectare of land. In Mangalore, a loss of Rs 7.81 crore has been incurred due to the rot disease.

In Udupi district, in 9000 hectares of land, 7200 tonnes of arecanuts have been destroyed incurring a loss of Rs 51.84 crore.

Mr Kumar said more number of arecanuts have been destroyed in Bantwal, Puttur, Sullia, Belthangady, Karkala and Kundapura taluks owing to rot disease. He also urged the government to balance the market and price for arecanut.