Shillong, Feb 20: Betelnut growers or areca nut plantations in Meghalaya made a contribution of Rs 382.22 crores to the state’s in the year 2022-23, yet they have been faced with major challenges in terms of marketing and value addition.
This concern about the loss of income suffered by these farmers and the need for a Minimum Support Price (MSP) were highlighted by UDP MLA Lahkmen Rymbui during the on-going Budget Session of Meghalaya Assembly.
The total production of betelnut in Meghalaya during the last four years has seen a huge jump. In 2019-20 the cultivation done in was 18,231 hectares and it has now increased to 34,410 hectares.
Rymbui mentioned that the data reflected that people of state were moving to areca nut cultivation but the price had been decreasing year by year. He questioned the government that apart from the incentives it was giving, was it thinking of promoting the areca nut product outside of the state.
Stating that the Government of India, Ministry of Tribal Affairs recognizes areca nut as a minor forest produce and GOI has fixed the MSP for areca nut per kg at 200 rupees, the UDP MLA asked “Will the govt consider looking at the distress of farmers and come up with MSP for areca nut ?”
Minister in-charge of Agriculture and Farmers welfare, Dr M Ampareen Lyngdoh informed that the government was taking various steps to help these farmers. She informed the House that 46 processing units consisting of working shed, de-husking machines, solar tunnel dryers and soaked pits were being set up across 21 blocks in 10 districts. Total cost of these is RS 14.06 cr. Thirty-four units have been completed and the remaining 12 units will be completed in the coming months.
She added that Rs 10 lakh interest-free working capital loan for aggregation and marketing of areca nut has been given to each of the 46 cooperative societies.
Lyngdoh added that betelnut or areca nut farmers have also been challenged with the incidents of bud rot disease in some areas of the state.
In 2021-22, planting material of short gestation crops like banana and pineapple were given to 3,581 farmers whose areca nut plantation had been affected by bud rot. “The same will be continued this year and additional interest free working capital loan will also be given. Spraying of bordeaux mixture will also be undertaken to prevent spread of bud rot,” said Lyngdoh.
The minister acknowledged that there had been a surge of production of areca nut in the state and that the department was ensuring to utilize all this data effectively.
“One is the institution of farmer cooperatives through which farmers engaged in growing areca nut, collectively connect together and have common facilities in various parts of state. We now have about 46 such farmer cooperatives. They are assisted in several ways. We give them various opportunities like stocking of areca nut and other facilities,” said the agriculture minister.
In her response, she also stated that since areca nut is considered not healthy but they are finding some compromise on their ability to assist the farmers. To which Rymbui said that even though they understand it is not healthy but this has been an indigenous product and has been a livelihood of the people.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in a supplementary answer said that it was based on GOI notion that it’s unhealthy but their stand has always been that it’s an indigenous product and thousands of farmers depend on it. “It is our duty to support we will continue to support in whatever way and keep augmenting in different ways that we can,” said the Chief Minister. He also assured the member concerning MSP, the government will get it examined.
“The value of processed areca nut is ten times the price. Today processed areca nut is sold at Rs 400-500 per kg, so we realised the way forward is processing areca nut. We will continue to expand and value addition is the only right way to move forward,” assured Sangma.
Since the UDP MLA had urged the government to setup the processing unit at at high yielding Amlarem area , Chief Minister assured that out of 46 units 2 are in Amlarem, Rs one crore investment has already been done in Amlarem and they will ensure to expand it.
Mawkyrwat MLA Renikton Tongkhar asked if areca nut is in the list of export item and if not, whether the govt will take the initiative to include it.
The agriculture minister informed that they are now in the process of setting up these processing units and dry supari is going to be one item that department is looking to focus at.