JOIN USThe closure Nepal and Bangla border during the lockdown and the increase in demand for areca nuts in North India helped the procurement prices of Chali variety of arecanut (white arecanut) to shoot up by Rs 50 a kg and reached Rs 300 per kg, surpassing all the prices that existed all these years.
The prices had jumped from Rs 250 per kg to Rs 300 per kg, in a gap of a few weeks during the lockdown, Campco (Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Co-operative Ltd) President S R Sathischandra said to the media during a press meet organised by DK Working Journalists Association, at Patrika Bhavana in Mangaluru on Tuesday (June 9).
Arecanut was properly procured In line with the guidelines of the government during the lockdown and with this, Campco was able to bring stability to the arecanut market. The arecanut consignments were also transported to Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat— the main consumer markets in North India.
To ensure that cocoa beans do not get wasted during the complete lockdown period, the farmers were taught to dry the beans using social media. Hence, the wastage of cocoa beans could be prevented, said the Campco president.
Campco MD Suresh Bhandary said that they started procuring the fresh arrivals of arecanut at Rs 250 per kg from April 13. When the demand increased in North India, the prices shot up. The price of old arecanut stocks has been increased to Rs 320 per kg from Rs 275 a kg. During the lockdown period, the Campco had procured 8,000 quintals of cocoa beans from the farmers. When Campco started procuring wet beans on April 9, the price was Rs 59 per kg for wet beans and Rs 175 per kg for dry beans. Now, the price has been stabilised at Rs 50 per kg for wet beans.
Bhandary said once the import of arecanut resumes, then it may be difficult to maintain the price of arecanut at this rate.
Retail pack
Further, Bhandary said that premium assorted gift box chocolates of Campco —Milk Marvel, Dietier, dark chocolate, and white chocolate are now available in the retail packaging. There was a demand to be sold in the retail pack instead of gift boxes.
Campco president said that Campco has made arrangements to supply Copper Sulphate to the farmers at a subsidised rate without compromising the quality. To protect arecanuts from fruit rot disease, spraying Copper Sulphate fluid on arecanut bunches should be taken up.