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The government should earmark a certain amount of taxes being paid by the stakeholders in the arecanut sector for taking up research activities, according to Kishore Kumar Kodgi, President of the Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd.
Speaking at the inauguration of the three-day training programme for farmers on the use of carbon fibre telescopic poles at Vittal in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka on Monday, he said the stakeholders in arecanut sector are paying around ₹700 crore as taxes to the government.
The government should earmark at least 2 per cent of that for taking up research activities in arecanut sector, he said.
The three-day programme is aimed at imparting training to farmers on the use of carbon fibre telescopic poles to carry out activities such as harvesting the crops and spraying fungicides on the plant. There is lack of adequate manpower to climb trees and carry out these activities. In such a situation, the skills learnt in the use of carbon fibre telescopic poles through such training programmes will be of help to farmers and workers in arecanut plantations.
Training programmes
Stressing the need for training farmers in the use of carbon fibre telescopic poles, he said the Campco has initiated this training to help farmers in the region. Other agri cooperatives in the region should take the lead and come forward to organise such training programmes, he said.
SR Satishchandra, former Campco President and Director of the cooperative, said that there is a need for farmers to adapt new tools and technologies to traditional agricultural activities. Agri cooperatives and other stakeholders in arecanut sector should come forward to hold such training programmes to inculcate new skills among farming community, he said.
Shree Padre, Editor of Adike Patrike (a monthly publication on agri sector), said that the use of tools such as carbon fibre telescopic poles will become a necessity in arecanut plantations in the days to come. After learning the use of carbon fibre telescopic poles for harvesting the crop and for spraying fungicides, the interested youths can also take this up as a self-employment activity.
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