'India imported 42,230 tonnes of arecanut last fiscal': Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal

The Minister informed that during the ten-year period from 2015–16 to 2024–25, the value of arecanut exports has increased by 35.69 per cent and claimed the increase is only in monetary value (due to higher prices), not in volume.

New Delhi: Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday informed Lok Sabha that India imported 42,236.02 tonnes of arecanut valued Rs 1208.34 crore in 2024-25, and exported 2,396.26 tonnes valued Rs 105.84 crore.

Replying to Shivamogga MP B Y Raghavendra, the Minister said, India imported 16,150 tonnes of arecanut in 2016–17, which rose to 42,236 tonnes in 2024–25. The import had peaked at 78,233 tonnes in 2022–23.

Arecanut is mainly imported from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Indonesia, Bangladesh, UAE, Nepal, Oman, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. However, the bulk of the imports come from Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Indonesia.

In 2015–16, India exported 6,284 tonnes of arecanut and same has fallen to just 2,396 tonnes in 2024–25.

The Minister informed that during the ten-year period from 2015–16 to 2024–25, the value of arecanut exports has increased by 35.69 per cent.

However, a decade ago the price of arecanut was around Rs 250–300 per kg, whereas now it has now crossed Rs 450. Therefore, the increase is only in monetary value (due to higher prices), not in volume.

Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha member Captain Brijesh Chowta on Monday expresses concern over flooding of large-scale arecanut from least developed countries (LDCs) to India and said this has hit the domestic arecanut market and farmers in the country.