Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (RD)

Mangalore, Aug 23: The delegation of betelnut growers of DK district has pleaded the union government to ban import of areca since the local areca growers are being distressed over falling prices of areca.

The delegation led by MP D V Sadanand Gowda and DK district-in-charge minister Nagaraj Shetty met Union minister of commerce Kamalnath Panth and stated that the import of areca from Sri Lanka, Thailand and other Latin American countries has worsened the plight of areca growers.

Thirty lac families in Karnataka, Kerala and Assam are depending on areca plantation.  However, these families are reeling under difficulty due to cheaply imported areca. 

Though the union government has taken few measures to ban the import of areca, they have not yielded the desired effect.  Areca being exported from other countries to Nepal through which it reaches India from the port of SAARC.  This way these countries earn huge profit. The national areca produce looses its edge over the imported areca owing to cheaper imports.  Hence, the delegation urged the union minister to take measures in order to curb these imports through SAARC.  

MLAs Yogish Bhat, Sunil Kumar, Lalaji R Mendon MLC Ganesh Karnik, CAMPCO chairman S R Ranganathmurthy  were present in the delegation.