Considering the role being played by arecanut in local economies, one more arecanut co-operative has come forward to procure the commodity from growers amidst the lockdown in the country.

The Sirsi-based farm cooperative Totagars’ Co-operative Sale Society (TSS) Ltd began the purchase of arecanut from its grower-members on Thursday.

The Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd was the first cooperative to start procurement of arecanut from growers from April 13 at a time when it is cut off from its consumers in northern India.

Ravish Hegde, General Manager of TSS Ltd, told BusinessLine that the co-operative will procure arecanut from growers at Sirsi, Siddapura, and Yellapura centres.

Each centre is allowed to buy arecanut from 30 members in a day. All measures related to social distancing and other directives related to control the spread of Covid will be followed strictly, he said.

To a query on the procurement price of the commodity from growers, he said TSS will maintain the last traded price of the commodity prior to the implementation of the lockdown. He gave the last traded price of the commodity at ₹250-260 a kg for white variety of arecanut, and ₹340-370 a kg for the red variety.

He said TSS will also buy the commodity from the doorsteps of the growers, if 10 members from a village come forward to sell it on a designated day.

The representatives of both Campco and TSS opined that the co-operatives decided to procure arecanut from their grower-members to instil confidence among the members and to take care of the livelihood needs of many of such members.