Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) will procure arecanut from two more centres in Kerala from next week.

SN Khandige, Vice-President of Campco Ltd, told BusinessLine that the Kasaragod district administration has given permission to procure arecanut from two more centres in the district. Following this, the cooperative will start procurement of arecanut at Neerchal and Mulleriya centres in Kasaragod district from April 29.

Initially, the Kasaragod district administration had given permission to procure arecanut from Badiadka and Kanhangad centres. This decision was taken after the Dakshina Kannada district administration in Karnataka gave permission to procure arecanut in certain centres in the district.

Later on, the Kasaragod district administration allowed procurement from Bayar, Perla and Bandadka centres after growers urged the government to increase the number of procurement centres.

Also read: MHA order to ensure smooth processing of arecanut: Campco

Arecanut is the main source of income for farmers with small and marginal land holdings in many parts of Karnataka and Kerala.

Stressing the need to increase the number of days of procurement in Kerala, Khandige said the number of days for arecanut procurement has been limited to one day in a week in all the seven centres.

Growers have to get a token

At present, the Kasaragod district administration has allowed purchase of the commodity once in a week in a centre from a maximum of 30 growers. The grower will have to take a token from the procurement centre concerned before bringing his commodity to the cooperative.

Khandige, who represents Kerala in Campco, said the tokens have been issued till the second week of May in some centres. Increase in the number of days of procurement will bring down the pressure on both farmers and the procurement centres. This, in turn, will help small and marginal growers for their livelihood, he added.