The Hindu Business Line : Adverse weather hits arecanut production

Behind the fall
The extended period of the rains rather than its intensity has affected white arecanut.
Increase in copper sulphate prices and lack of skilled labourers have further hit the the production.

Mangalore , Jan. 16

Changes in the weather conditions during the last flowering season have made an impact on the production of white arecanut this year. The rainy season, which began in late May last year, continued till November.

Both the arecanut cooperatives and growers' association estimate that there can be decline in the production of white arecanut to the tune of 20 per cent to 25 per cent.

Traditional areas

Mr S.R. Rangamurthy, President of the Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd, told Business Line that there has been decline in the production of white arecanut in the traditional growing areas of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts in Karnataka and Kasaragod district in Kerala.

He estimated that there might be a shortfall in the production of white arecanut to the tune of 20 per cent to 25 per cent.

Mr M. Srinivasa Achar, President of the All-India Areca Growers' Association, said the rainy season began on May 20 last year in the white arecanut-growing areas and it continued till November end.

Extended rains

"It was the extended period of the rains that affected the production of white arecanut than the intensity of rainfall. The early commencement of rainfall last year affected the flowering activities in arecanut plantations, making an impact on the production of the commodity," he said.

Concurring with the views, Mr Sridhar Bhide, President of Mangalore Agriculturists' Sahakari Sangha (MASS) Ltd, said the shortage of the commodity has made the growers to look for still a better price. "In situations like this, growers should not hold back the commodity in expectation of higher price. Rather they should release it to the market in regular intervals. This will help stabilise the market and will provide a good price to the growers also," he said.

Sources in the arecanut market said traders would not allow prices to come down when they have stocks with them. If the market goes without any stock, then there are the fears of arecanut prices coming down. The regular release of the commodity to the market will keep the market bullish, they said.

SKILLED LABOUR

The increase in the copper sulphate prices and the lack of skilled labourers to spray it to the crops had further brought down the production, Mr Achar said. Arecanut plantation requires to be sprayed with copper sulphate mixture to prevent the crops being affected by fruit rot disease.

On Tuesday, the old stocks of white arecanut commanded a price of Rs 75 to Rs 83 a kg in the Mangalore market and the new stocks Rs 53-62 a kg.

More Stories on : Plantations | Climate & Weather

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page