'Prices of arecanut likely to go up in Jan'

The prices of arecanut are likely to go up in January, Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative Ltd (Campco) President S R Sathishchandra said.

He was replying to a query by one Hamid Vittal during the phone-in programme, organised by the DH-PV, at DH-PV editorial office in Balmatta on Monday.

Sathishchandra said fresh arrivals of white arecanut (also called chali) fetches Rs 230 per kg while single chol (old stock) fectches Rs 270 and double chol fetches Rs 305 per kg.

“The Campco purchases arecanuts at highest price and are committed to bring in stability of price in the market. The Campco had purchased 5.31 lakh quintals of arecanuts last year,” he added.

The heavy rain during monsoon has affected arecanut production. An estimated 30% of the crop is lost due to ‘Kole roga’ (fruit rot disease) in the state, Sathishchandra said

When Aboobakkar from Anilakatte raised the issue of difference in the rate of areacnut at various locations, the President said quality of arecanut varied from place to place depending on the soil conditions and the process through which the farmers dried the arecanut.

Campco Managing Director Suresh Bhandary said, “The size of the arecanut varies from 24 mm to 28 mm. Good quality arecanut fetches highest price and the price varies from place to place. There is good demand for arecanut with a size of 28 mm dimension in Ahmedabad.”

Survey on consumption pattern

Sathishchandra, while replying to a query by one Ganesh from Davangere, said no tests had proved that arecanut was harmful to the human health.

Adding to it, Bhandary said, “All the tests were conducted on the samples of arecanut mixed with chemicals. The Arecanut Research and Development Foundation (ARDF) in association with the Campco has conducted a survey on consumption pattern and its impact and the report will be submitted to the Centre shortly.”

Jayappa from Davangere and Bojappa from Sullia demanded the Campco to conduct more training in climbing arecanut trees. The Campco President said that another batch of youth will be trained in January.

When a caller wanted such trainings to be organised in Davangere, Sathishchandra said that he will hold talks with Thota Uthpannagala Marketing Co-operative Society Ltd (TUMCOS) and Mamcos to hold such trainings in Davangere and Tumakur and Campco will provide required resource persons.

When Vishnu Bhat from Sullia sought to know the efforts made by the Campco to increase the rate of rubber, the President said that the Campco representatives had met Union Minister Suresh Prabhu and demanded a national policy on rubber.

The Campco will organise an interaction with the farmers and Union Ministers Suresh Prabhu and D V Sadananda Gowda in Sullia on December 11.

Campco PRO Ramachandra Kamath was present.