Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Oct 1: The inflow of arecanut into the markets has currently declined sharply. Despite the reduced arrivals, there has been no significant rise in prices, leaving farmers disheartened.

Last year, the arecanut yield was drastically low. Many plantations harvested less than half the usual crop, resulting in small and medium farmers running out of stock. Large-scale growers, on the other hand, have withheld their produce, hoping for a price hike, which has further reduced market arrivals.

Farmers suffered considerable losses last year due to the unexpected drop in yield. Adding to their woes, plantations in Beltangady, Sullia, and Kadaba taluks were severely damaged by wild elephants. Widespread leaf spot disease and frequent strong winds that uprooted trees have compounded the distress of arecanut growers.

Generally, new arecanut begins entering the market by November, after which the existing stock is considered old. However, this year, due to heavy rains, there could be a delay in the arrival of fresh produce. Although ripe arecanuts have begun falling, the drying process has become a challenge.

Despite lower arrivals, prices have not seen a major upward trend. In March, arecanut was priced around Rs 350 per kg, rising to Rs 490 in July. Since then, it has fluctuated within a margin of Rs 10-20, and currently stands at around Rs 500 per kg.

Farmers, who expected a sharp rise in prices due to lower supply, are disappointed. With yields cut to half, the current rates are insufficient for growers to manage plantation expenses.

Demand from other states continues as usual, but traders there are showing more interest in varieties like coca and patora, rather than high-quality arecanut. Buyers are unwilling to pay beyond Rs 500 per kg for superior quality and are instead purchasing average quality produce at around Rs 400 per kg.

Experts also point out that arecanut entering the market illegally from other countries is impacting domestic prices.

Similar to last year, rot disease has severely affected plantations this season, wiping out more than half the yield. The recent spell of continuous rain has increased fears of further spread.

Although the disease appeared to subside during a brief dry spell in mid-September, renewed rainfall has raised fresh concerns. If rains persist for another week, the spread of rot disease is considered certain.

Traders are also facing difficulties in receiving timely payments for sold arecanut, which is hampering business and indirectly affecting prices. Moreover, due to excessive rain and rot disease last year, much of the produce could not be properly dried, leading to poor quality arecanut reaching the markets. This quality variation has created wide fluctuations in price levels.