Ministers and Lok Sabha members from Karnataka held a meeting with Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Delhi on Thursday, and discussed the issues faced by arecanut growers in the State and Kerala. They demanded funds for research on arecanut diseases and strict measures to stop the illegal import of areca and pepper.
Union Minister for Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy; Union Minister for Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi; Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna; Lok Sabha members B.Y. Raghavendra, Vishweshar Hegde Kageri, Govind Karjol, Capt. Brijesh Chowta, Srinivasa Poojary, Prabha Mallikarjun; former minister Araga Jnanendra; CAMPCO president Kishor Kodgi; and others attended the meeting.
Memorandum
Mr. Raghavendra, in a memorandum submitted to Mr. Chouhan, appealed to him to finalise the official report on evidence-based research on arecanut and human health, and make it public at the earliest.
Mr. Raghavendra said that finalising the report and making it public were critical to substantiate the scientific and medicinal aspects of arecanut.
This is significant in the backdrop of the World Health Organisation classifying arecanut as carcinogenic, and the case on the issue is pending before the Supreme Court.
He urged the Union Minister to allocate funds for research on Yellow-Leaf-Disease (YLD) and other diseases affecting arecanut in parts of Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Shivamogga, and Chikkamagaluru in Karnataka and parts of Kerala. “Farmers are experiencing severe loss and distress due to these diseases,” Mr. Raghavendra said.
The Lok Sabha member requested the Union Minister to implement strict measures for curbing illegal import of arecanut and pepper via the Myanmar border area. He appealed to the Minister to strengthen crop insurance facilities for the benefit of growers. “A modern, technology-based framework involving both Central and State governments should be developed for accurate measurement of rainfall, climatic disruptions, and disease outbreaks,” Mr. Raghavendra stated.
