Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Aug 9: An international conference on the future of arecanut was held at the Karnataka Bank Auditorium, Kodialbail in the city by Arecanut Research and Development Foundation (R) on Saturday August 9.

The conference was inaugurated by Dr V S Acharya, state home minister in the morning. Dr D Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala presided over. D V Sadanand Gowda, MP, participated as guest.

V V Bhat, principal secretary (finance and planning) of the government of the national capital territory, Delhi, delivered the keynote address.

The proceedings for the day were divided into four technical sessions in which, experts participated as resource persons and spoke about various problems that the arecanut growers encounter, diseases that destroy the arecanut crops, regional and international policies, scope for future development etc.,

In the afternoon, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa graced the occasion and addressed the participants. Valedictory function was held in the evening, in which Dr M Tamil Selvan, director, Directorate of Arecanut and spices Development, Calicut delivered valedictory address. Dr D Veerendra Heggade.