The Hindu Business Line : Arecanut import only via Mangalore port

Arecanut sector in the country, which has been facing the threat of large-scale import from other nations, heaved a sigh of relief on Thursday with the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) allowing only Mangalore Port to import the commodity.

In a notification dated August 29, the DGFT allowed the import of whole, split, ground and other forms of betelnuts (commonly known as arecanut) only through the Mangalore Port.

This is the third notification by the DGFT during the current year, on the import of arecanut. In the first notification dated February 20, the DGFT had allowed the import only through one port in the country — Mangalore Port. Till then, the import of arecanut was allowed in other ports.

In the second notification dated July 10, import of the commodity was allowed through Mangalore Port, and of arecanut of Nepalese origin through Jogbani and Panitanki land customs stations.

Mr S.R. Rangamurthy, President, Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd, told Business Line that the latest notification will provide a relief to the arecanut market. The sector is facing large-s cale imports from various nations affecting the interests of domestic growers. “The notification dated August 29 supersedes the earlier notification. We hope that the latest notification will help improve the market conditions in the country,” he said.

The notification allowing import through the single port and the likely fixing of floor price for the imported commodity could help stabilise the domestic market, he added.

Mr Rangamurthy said a delegation from the sector had visited the Union Commerce Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, in New Delhi on July 21 seeking his intervention to curb the import of arecanut to India through Nepal, and thanked the Government for issuing the notification.

The Minister had also agreed to consider the proposal of Campco to fix a floor price for imported arecanut, he said.

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