Global Scene
In an agrarian economy like India, agriculture occupies a key place in the programme of economic development. For rural Indians, agriculture has become a way of life. This sector is contributing nearly 50 percent of the National income and plays a significant role in the over-all development of this country. When traditional form of agriculture started becoming commercial during the British period, farmers attitude towards agriculture was changed. As a consequence, in the agricultural sector, commercial crops started playing a unique role in the world of agriculture. Among various commercial crops grown in India, the ARECANUT is one of the predominant crops.
Areca nut (Areca Catechu Linn) is an important crop in India and is popularly known as “BETTLENUT” or “SUPARI”. It enjoys and commands a long history of consumption as a masticatory item in India, West Asia and some of the Far Eastern Countries. It is commodity of conventional, commercial and economic importance. While the conventionality is directed by societal values in the Asian context, the commerciality is ensured by the fact that it contributes about 21,000 crores of rupees to the gross National product. Besides this, its economic importance is witnessed by 6.25 million of people who make their livelihood through areca industry. On the other hand, it is reflected in all the religious, social and cultural life of Indians. The cultivation of arecanut can be traced from the vedic period. Areca kernel is used mainly for chewing purpose in “Tambula”, “Beeda:”, “Pansupari” and “Ghutka”.
Arecanut being a tropical palm, its distribution is mainly confined to Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Srilanka and some of the Pacific Islands. Arecanut is not a native of India; it is an introduced plant in India. Philippines is generally supposed to be the home of arecanut mainly because of the presence of larger number of varieties. The following sea trade of those days should have spread it all the other regions. Till the 1960’s India used to import arecanut from Malaysia, Singapur and Srilanka. As a result of the partition in 1947, India lost almost 50 percent of the total areca under arecanut to East Pakistan. (Bangladesh).
The yield rate of arecanut is highest in Karnataka and Tripura followed by Maharashtra Assam and others. Arecanut is being used mainly for chewing in tender, ripe or processed forms. It can be used for other commercial purpose, provided, necessary research is undertaken. Hence, there is scope in exporting. Presently the major part of the arecanut production is consumed domestically and the rest is exported to countries like Australia, Canada, Kuwait, Oman, Netherland, Nepal, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, UAE, United Kingdom and United States of America.
It is very interesting to note that areca has opened its accounts in every nook and corner of the major countries of the world.
Though the arecanut chewing habit is prevalent throughout Asia, it is only in India that the research and development activities on various aspects of this areca palm especially in relation to cultivation, is being carried out. Cultivation of areca palm is practiced along the narrow coastal belt. Extending from kutch, down South to Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and in the East Coast of Tamilnadu, Andrapradesh and Orissa, Tripura, West Bengal and Assam with the largest concentration in South West India.
It is estimated more than 6.25 million people in India are engaged in the production processing and marketing of arecanut. But rot, flower drops and root grubs are the major diseases, non availability of labour and inadequate availability of inputs are the major problems encountered by the farmers of India with reference to production. In adequate facilities for marketing, poor marketing intelligence, price fluctuation, and exploitation from the intermediaries are the major problems faced by the farmers at the National level with reference to marketing aspect.
The states of Kerala, Karnataka and Assam, where arecanut is grown extensively, together account for about 99 percent of the total areca under areanut in India. To a smaller extent it is also grown in Meghalaya, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, and Mizoram(Table1.5 gives the statewise details of areca and production). A production trend indicates that the areca of production is one of the lines in Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya and West Bengal. Slow growth is witnessed in Maharashtra, Goa and Andhra Pradesh. It is obvious to note that in Mizoram and Tamil Nadu year by year areca and production of areca is declining. Karnataka occupies a pride place both in respect of areca and production. Once upon a time, Kerala was the largest producer of arecanut in the country, but now it has been shifted to the third position, with Karnataka occupying the first place, followed by Assam. The growth rate in areca, production and yield is very impressive.
So far as the development of Co-operative movement in the UK Dist. is concerned, the fertile seed of co-operation was sown 1963, by establishing Totgars Co-operative Sale Society in Sirsi. Since the real Co-operation movement in India started only after the Rural Credit Survey Committee submitted its report in 1954., an impressive co-operative movement was initiated here during 1963, under theable leadership of SHRI SHRIPAD HEGDE Kadve – Sirsi, who really devoted his life for the co-operative movement in the Dist. So that, the said movement could spread all over the Dist. during 1970’s as a result, in all most all villages of areca areas of Malnadu regions, primary co-societies emerge for the service of the farmers. However, in the coastal belt this development is not so impressive. But it has got Taluka agricultural produce co-operative marketing societies(TAPCMS)in Taluka level. These co-societies are providing facilities of credit linked marketing financial assistance and helping to spread market information. These societies are acting as CAS and paling their unique rule in primary marketing influencing secondary marketing.
After 1980, Dist. has started witnessing the fruits of the co-operative movement, in many respects. Now on an average 55 to 66 percent of arecanuts are sold in the Dist. through co-societies. ‘it is a matter of pride that the Togars’ Co-operative Sale Societies established in 1923., had earned niche in the heat of each and every gardener of the Sirsi, Siddapur and Yallapur Taluka. Farmers of this area legitimately feel that this is one of the Co-operative own and it has become a by word in this region. The society too has identified itself with the community of this region and it has become a part and parcel of the areca growers. This institution has to its credit many firsts. This was the institution to introduce “ Pooling and grading” of the growers produce and marketing at the terminal market at Bombay. This too helped the growers to get better prices for their arecanut . This institution is not merely a marketing institution, but provides all other services to the members by running medical shop, a petrol bunk and agricultural requirements The twin object of a marketing institution, namely of linking credit with marketing and fetching better prices by pooling the produce has been galvanized and helped the growers by giving them harvesting and other term loans and created and feeling of security amongst the gardeners. It has been trying its level best protect farmers from the clutches of private traders and money lenders. Now it has 2 branches in Yellapur and Siddapur and controls major quantity of arecanut which comes to the regulated market.
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