The Hindu Business Line : Proposal to set up arecanut board

An arecanut board, to protect the interest of stakeholders in the commodity, may soon be set up if the Friday's meeting at Bangalore is any indication.

The meeting was convened primarily to discuss the impact of the proposed ban on gutkha.

Mr S.R. Rangamurthy, President of the Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd, told Business Line that initial discussions were held to set up an arecanut board. The sector has been facing many threats either in the form of large-scale imports or in the form of repeated moves to ban gutkha.

Arecanut Board

Stakeholders in other States will have to be consulted before taking a decision , he said.

The Friday's meeting was limited to the stakeholders in Karnataka only.

Leaders of various arecanut cooperatives in the State , traders, growers, and elected representatives from arecanut-growing areas attended the meeting.

Delegation

The meeting decided to take a delegation of stakeholders to the Central Government on the proposed ban on gutkha.

The delegation will explain to the Centre about the impact of gutkha ban on the arecanut sector. "The Central Government should allay fears in the minds of stakeholders in the sector. A favourable signal from the Centre will help stabilise the market," he said.

The meeting, which discussed the need for expediting study on alternative and medicinal uses of the commodity, stressed the need for seeking patent for the existing value-added products of the commodity.

TAX EVASION

Stating that some private traders evade tax while trading the commodity, he said the APMCs (agriculture produce marketing committees) were urged to streamline the process of tax collection. Import of arecanut through illegal means was also discussed in the meeting, and it was decided to bring this matter to the notice of the Central Government during the visit of the delegation to Delhi, he added.

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