Panel to submit report on areca cultivation costs

Addressing the media here on Tuesday, Campco President Konkodi Padmanabha said as per the report, the cost of cultivation of ‘Chali’ arecanut is Rs 114 per kg and the red variety is Rs 148 per kg. The report would help the government to fix the minimum support price for white and red varieties of arecanaut.

The expert committee included Karnataka State Planning Commission member Dr G V Joshi, Chartered Accountant R D Shastri, agriculture journalist Ramesh Kainthaje, progressive farmer from Agali-Koppa A P Nagesh Rao, progressive farmers Padaru Ramakrishna Shastri, Dr Chandrashekar Chowta and K M Hegde from Sirsi.  The committee was constituted after a delegation led by the Campco urged the Union Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar to hike the support price paid to arecanut. The Minister in turn had asked the State government to present a report on the costs of arecanut cultivation.

He said the committee had visited arecanut growing areas in Sringeri, Koppa, Thirthahalli, Shimoga, Chennagiri, Bhadravathi, Bhairumbe, Yaddalli, Neernalli, Herooru, Honnavara, Jalavalli, Bantwal, Puttur, Karkala, Belthangady and Sullia in July and August besides, they held meeting with the farmers and growers.

Dr G V Joshi who was also present said the government was referring the report of Paulose Committee (1973) for announcing support price. The report, even now, serves as an authentic and reliable source of information for estimating the costs of production of arecanut. However, there has been a widening mismatch between the costs of cultivation and the prices prevailing in the market. The report of the Paulose Committee, research studies on arecanut and proceedings of seminars and conferences were also taken into account while making a scientific evaluation of the costs of production, he added.