The Karnataka Agricultural Price Commission has stressed the need for the establishment of an Arecanut Board on the lines of Rubber Board and Coffee Board in the country.

Prakash Kammardi, Chairman of Karnataka Agricultural Price Commission, told presspersons that there is an immediate need to set up a separate board for arecanut to look into the issues confronted by arecanut growers, to strengthen production and marketing process, and to look into value-addition to the commodity to increase its contribution to the economy significantly.

He said on the sidelines of a meeting with farmers, cooperatives and officials of agriculture and horticulture departments in Mangaluru on Monday.

The Karnataka Agricultural Price Commission had made elaborate consultations with stakeholders such as farmers, marketing cooperatives, experts, scientists, traders, and government officials in the arecanut-growing regions of the State in this regard, he said.

Based on the consultations, the commission has suggested some guidelines for the formulation of a board. Kammardi said the board should be enacted by Parliament through an Act, and should have jurisdiction over the entire country. Since the board would deal with matters related to economic implications and taxation of the commodity, it should be placed under the Union Commerce Ministry.

Both Central and State governments should have equal stake in policy formulation, decision making and programme execution, he said.

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