Date:25/08/2007 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/08/25/stories/2007082553141200.htm

Back Curb areca entry through Nepal: Campco

Our Bureau

Mangalore, Aug. 24

The Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd has urged the Union Government to curtail the entry of arecanut produced in other countries, through Nepal, to India.

In a memorandum submitted to the Union Commerce Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, the cooperative said the cultivation and production of arecanut is meagre in Nepal. But, it is a potential market for arecanut consumption.

The memorandum said Campco’s export to Nepal was coming down every year. The cooperative, which exported 2,257 quintals of arecanut worth Rs 1.51 crore in 2004-05, exported 561 quintals worth Rs 37.67 lakh in 2005-06. The export came down to 197 quintals worth Rs 16.71 lakh in 2006-07. These figures indicate that export of arecanut from India to Nepal is on decreasing trend for the last few years, due to the availability of imported arecanut from other nations at a cheaper rate.

Since Nepal being a good market for arecanut consumption having negligible quantity of production, export of the commodity from that country to India at a cheaper rate does not arise.

The memorandum said tarecanut from other countries were exported to Nepal by taking advantage of the lesser import duty in that country.

Quoting Mr S.R. Rangamurthy, Campco President, it said: “Due to this type of import, our nation is incurring heavy revenue loss and domestic agriculturists are suffering heavily due to the market crisis for their produce.”