The Hindu Business Line : Area under areca drops in Kerala; Bengal production increases

Mangalore, June 25 Karnataka still remains as the top producer of arecanut in the country, followed by Kerala in the second position. The recent statistics published by the Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development (DASD) shows a decline in the area and quantity of production in Kerala. West Bengal, which was not in the list of major arecanut producer, occupies the third position in terms of quantity of production.

West Bengal has witnessed a jump of 76,000 tonnes in arecanut production in a span of one year. However, growers disagree with the figures related to West Bengal.

‘Area and production statistics of arecanut and spices’, published by the Kozhikode-based DASD in May 2008, gives the Indian production of arecanut at 5.59 lakh tonnes from 3.96 lakh hectares in 2006-07 as against 4.83 lakh tonnes from 3.81 lakh hectares in 2005-06.

During 2006-07, Karnataka produced 2.24 lakh tonnes (2.15 lakh tonnes) of arecanut from 1.68 lakh hectares (1.61 lakh hectares). Kerala produced 1.10 lakh tonnes of arecanut (1.19 lakh tonnes) from 1.02 lakh hectares (1.08 lakh hectares) of land during the year.

WEST BENGAL

According to the publication, the arecanut production in West Bengal stood at 29,300 tonnes from 9,400 hectares in 2005-06. Surprisingly, this figure went up to 1.06 lakh tonnes from 24,400 hectares in 2006-07, registering a jump of 76,700 tonnes in production and a two-fold increase in the area of cultivation in one year.

Disagreeing with these figures, Mr M. Srinivasa Achar, President of the All-India Areca Growers’ Association, told Business Line that this data is incorrect. After planting an arecanut plant, it requires seven years to get the yield. “According to my knowledge, there was no major promotion for arecanut plantation in West Bengal in the last several years,” he said.

Mr S.R. Rangamurthy, President of Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd, said: “If West Bengal is such a big producer, why should Karnataka supply arecanut to that state?” Campco supplies arecanut to Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, among other States. Mr Sridhar Bhide, President of the Mangalore Agriculturists’ Sahakari Sangha, felt wrong statistics lead to wrong policies. That should not happen.

When contacted, Dr M. Tamil Selvan, Director of DASD, said as per the provisional estimates released by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, New Delhi, area under arecanut in West Bengal during 2006-07 was 24,400 hectare and production was 1.06 lakh tonnes.

Stating that it is a provisional estimate and subject to revision, he said: “We (the Directorate) also noticed the drastic change in area and production and we have sent a letter requesting the State Department of Economics and Statistics in West Bengal and West Bengal Horticulture Department to give the reasons for the drastic change. The reply is yet to be received.”