Stakeholders in the arecanut sector should look at a consortium arrangement to study the beneficial/harmful effects of the commodity, according to a former official from the Indian Administrative Service.

Speaking at the Formation Day of Campco (Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative) Ltd in Mangaluru on Thursday, VV Bhat, a former IAS official, said that it is not possible for one university or research institute to come out with a comprehensive study on the harmful/beneficial impact of arecanut on human health.

In such a situation, there is a need for a consortium that can study the impact of the commodity on human health. He said stakeholders should initiate steps to conduct the study on national and international platforms in an organised manner.

Highlighting the scarcity of skilled labour to carry out operations in arecanut plantations, he said it is time for arecanut growers to carry out such operations collectively at the village level. Operations such as harvesting spraying of fungicides should be collectivised, he added.

Referring to various innovations to make value-added products from arecanut, Bhat said the cooperative could think of promoting individual enterprises without being directly involved in the manufacture of such products.

Stressing on the need for competence building among the workforce in the cooperative sector, he said human resources should adjust to the rapid development in various sectors. In such a situation, skill development and competence building measures help the cooperative to stride forward in this competitive world.

Speaking on the occasion, SR Satishchandra, Campco president, highlighted the development of Campco over the last 46 years. Campco achieved an all time high record turnover of ₹1,880 crore for 2018-19, he said.

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