The Hindu Business Line : Import of arecanut from Myanmar allowed

Mangalore, May 9 The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has issued a notification allowing import of betel nuts (commonly known as arecanut) from Myanmar. Sources in the arecanut sector said that this may affect the prospects of arecanut in the domestic market.

Quoting the earlier three notifications on the import of arecanut, a DGFT notification dated May 8 said that import of betel nuts from Myanmar shall not be subject to port restrictions, and this was made effective retrospectively from February 20, 2007.

In the notification dated February 20, 2007, 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, 2007, import of arecanut was allowed through Mangalore Port, and arecanut of Nepalese origin through Jogbani and Panitanki land customs stations.

In the third notification dated August 29, 2007, the DGFT allowed the import of whole, split, ground and other forms of arecanut only through Mangalore Port.

Sources in the Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd told Business Line that Myanmar was not a large-scale producer of arecanut. They feared that arecanut from Indonesia will be routed through Myanmar for Indian market.

According to the arecanut database prepared by the Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development, India covers 56 per cent of the area under arecanut production. Indonesia and Myanmar cover 16 per cent and 5.5 per cent, respectively. These figures were up to 2004. Sources said that arecanut was a forest produce in Indonesia, and the commodity was of poor quality. The production cost of arecanut in India is around Rs 90 a kg for white arecanut and Rs 120 a kg for red arecanut, they said.

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