Climate-related issues and disease seem to have impacted the arecanut crop during this year in the major producing state of Karnataka, if the initial trends are any indication.
Mahesh Puchhappady, President of All India Areca Growers’ Association, told businessline that arecanut production is likely to witness a decrease of nearly 50 per cent this year due to climate-related issues and disease.
Stating that temperature had touched as high as 42 degrees celsius in some arecanut-growing areas during summer, he said such temperatures lead to the dropping of tender arecanuts from the plant. This has impacted the production of arecanut.
Tender nut dropping continued even after summer as the temperatures used to shoot up to 32 degrees Celsius after rains stopped, he said. He estimated that the crop loss due to the tender arecanut dropping to be around 40 per cent.
Added to this, arecanut plants also faced fruit rot disease during the monsoon months. Rotting and shedding of immature nuts are the characteristics of fruit rot disease in arecanut plantations. The factors such as continuous heavy rainfall with intermittent sunshine, low temperatures and high humidity help in the spreading of this disease in arecanut plantations.
While arecanut plantations were already facing the issue of tender nut dropping, fruit rot disease further impacted the crops in growing areas, he said, adding, the decrease in crop production could be around 50 per cent during this year.
On the price for arecanut, Puchhappady said the arrivals of new stocks of white arecanut have just begun after Deepavali. Referring to the initial trends in the market, he said there is a jump in the price of the commodity.
On Monday, the multi-state cooperative Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd offered a maximum of ₹330 a kg for the new stocks of white arecanut. Sources said the private traders were offering more than ₹345 a kg for new stocks of white arecanut. Price was in the range of ₹310-320 a kg during the same period of 2023.
Puchhappady said the decrease in crop production during this year is one of the main reasons for the increase in the price of new stocks now.
A Kishore Kumar Kodgi, President of Campco, said red arecanut is getting around ₹510 a kg now. This was in the range of ₹475-480 a kg during the same period of the last year.
Based on the processing, arecanut is classified as white and red. In the preparation of white arecanut, farmers sun-dry the ripe arecanut and de-husk it. Predominantly white arecanut is prepared in coastal districts of Karnataka and some parts of northern Kerala.
Preparation of red arecanut involves the process of de-husking of green arecanut, boiling and drying it. Farmers in arecanut-growing regions such as Shivamogga, Davanagere and Chitradurga prepare the red arecanut.