Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Aug 11: The price of arecanut, important commercial crop of the district of Dakshina Kannada, is on the raise for the past three months and is nearing Rs 500 per kilo.

At present, in Mangaluru, the price of new arecanut is quoted at Rs 447, while old is sold at Rs 485. Last year the price was Rs 370. Patora arecanut is sold for Rs 400, Karigotu for Rs 340 and Cheppugotu for Rs 325.

At Campco, the old arecanut is sold from Rs 43500 to Rs 47000 at present and the new stock is quoted from Rs 30000 to Rs 45000.

Arecanut merchants of city are buying the product from villagers as good quality processed arecanut is available there. In city areas, low quality arecanut is mixed with good quality.

The arecanut that is produced in Dakshina Kannada is of export quality and has good demand overseas as well as in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

Though the arecanut price is soaring, profits are not shared to the labourers who peel the arecanut. There is no increase in their daily wages. They get only Rs 13 for every kg of arecanut that is peeled.

Though many technology and machines are available to peel arecanut, they have not found 100% success. Machines are available for climbing arecanut tree and also peeling arecanuts. But the results are not as good as that got by manual labour.