Ban on gutka affecting areca growers - CAMPCO President

Ban on gutka affecting areca growers - CAMPCO President

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, February 24: CAMPCO President Konkodi Padmanabha Bhat said that the ban on the sale of tobacco products in plastic sachets imposed by the Supreme Court from March 1 will have an adverse effect on the areca growers of the region. He was interacting with reporters in the CAMPCO office on Thursday.

The Supreme Court imposed this ban on Dec 7, 2010, following a government report that 90 percent of cases of oral cancer in India have been caused by chewing tobacco. Mr. Bhat said that the ban will have an adverse effect on innumerable people who make a living by growing arecanut and has already affected arecanut trade in Davanagere and Shimoga. Simultaneously, the price of red and white arecanut has reduced to Rs 20 per kg, he said.

He urged the central government to intervene in the matter and communicate the problems of arecanut growers to the Supreme Court. He said that a delegation, under the leadership of MAMPCO and CAMPCO leaders, will approach Union Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily regarding this issue.

Simultaneously, Mr. Bhat demands a support price of Rs. 114 for white arecanut and Rs. 148 for red arecanut based on the Arecanut Research and Development Foundation (ARDF) report. He urged the central government to sanction a sum of Rs. 500 crore to each state to meet this expense. He also urged a one-year injunction to be placed on the ban so that the gutka industry can hunt for an alternative. He also urged the central government to appoint a lawyer to take up the case of areca growers and convince the Supreme Court about the adverse effects of the ban.

A. S. Bhat, the executive director of CAMPCO; Narasimha Nayak, the vice president of All India Arecanut Growers Association; Shrinivas Nayak; and others were also present.