Price of ‘hosarashi’ variety has come down to Rs. 350 a kg
The proposal before the State government to impose a ban on production and sale of smokeless chewing tobacco has triggered a slump in the price of arecanut in the last one week.
The price of hosarashi variety of arecanut, which was Rs. 350 a kg on November 3, has come down to Rs. 230 now. Owing to a gap between the demand and supply, the price of arecanut had risen to Rs. 830 a kg in May this year. The gap was owing to a serious decline in the yields caused by the fruit rot disease, also known as kole roga.
With the entry of fresh produce into the market in September this year, the prices started coming down drastically. By the first week of October, the price of arecanut had stabilised and the traders bought the produce at the Shivamogga Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) at Rs. 350 a kg.
D.M. Shankarappa, arecanut merchant at the APMC here, told The Hindu that arecanut prices were sensitive to policy decisions of the government.
Along with hosarashi variety, the prices of saraku, bette and api varieties had also come down by 30 per cent to 35 per cent fall in the last one week owing to the reports of a ban being imposed on sale of smokeless chewing tobacco in Karnataka, he said.
The then Union Minister for Health Harsh Vardhan had written to all the States to enforce a ban on chewing tobacco. According to sources, acting on his letter, the Department of Health and Family Welfare had prepared a Cabinet note seeking approval for the ban on the sale of loose cigarettes and smokeless chewing tobacco in Karnataka.
The issue is likely to be discussed in the next meeting of the State Cabinet. As a major chunk of the arecanut is consumed with tobacco, the arecanut merchants and farmers are apprehensive that the ban on production of smokeless and chewing tobacco might bring down the demand for arecanut as well.
K.T. Gangadhar, working president of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, said that every year during harvest season, the large-scale arecanut traders create a panic among farmers over policy issues related to the produce. Earlier too, rumours of a possible ban gutkha and the letter written by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to Food Standards and Safety Authority of India to examine scientific evidences on harmful effects of consuming arecanut, had triggered fluctuations in the market.
However, the prices started recovering later on. As the proposal to ban chewing arecanut has created apprehension among arecanut growers and the merchants, it was up to the government to clear these confusions and protect the interests of arecanut growers, he said.
According to traders, prices of saraku, bette and api varieties have also come down by nearly 35 per cent
The proposal before the State government to impose a ban on production and sale of smokeless chewing tobacco has triggered a slump in the price of arecanut in the last one week.
The price of hosarashi variety of arecanut, which was Rs. 350 a kg on November 3, has come down to Rs. 230 now. Owing to a gap between the demand and supply, the price of arecanut had risen to Rs. 830 a kg in May this year. The gap was owing to a serious decline in the yields caused by the fruit rot disease, also known as kole roga.
With the entry of fresh produce into the market in September this year, the prices started coming down drastically. By the first week of October, the price of arecanut had stabilised and the traders bought the produce at the Shivamogga Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) at Rs. 350 a kg.
D.M. Shankarappa, arecanut merchant at the APMC here, told The Hindu that arecanut prices were sensitive to policy decisions of the government.
Along with hosarashi variety, the prices of saraku, bette and api varieties had also come down by 30 per cent to 35 per cent fall in the last one week owing to the reports of a ban being imposed on sale of smokeless chewing tobacco in Karnataka, he said.
The then Union Minister for Health Harsh Vardhan had written to all the States to enforce a ban on chewing tobacco. According to sources, acting on his letter, the Department of Health and Family Welfare had prepared a Cabinet note seeking approval for the ban on the sale of loose cigarettes and smokeless chewing tobacco in Karnataka.
The issue is likely to be discussed in the next meeting of the State Cabinet. As a major chunk of the arecanut is consumed with tobacco, the arecanut merchants and farmers are apprehensive that the ban on production of smokeless and chewing tobacco might bring down the demand for arecanut as well.
K.T. Gangadhar, working president of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, said that every year during harvest season, the large-scale arecanut traders create a panic among farmers over policy issues related to the produce. Earlier too, rumours of a possible ban gutkha and the letter written by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to Food Standards and Safety Authority of India to examine scientific evidences on harmful effects of consuming arecanut, had triggered fluctuations in the market.
However, the prices started recovering later on. As the proposal to ban chewing arecanut has created apprehension among arecanut growers and the merchants, it was up to the government to clear these confusions and protect the interests of arecanut growers, he said.
According to traders, prices of saraku, bette and api varieties have also come down by nearly 35 per cent
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