The Karnataka Agriculture Price Commission (APC) has
convened a meeting in Bengaluru on June 6 to discuss the formation of a
separate board for arecanut cultivation, said chairman Prakash
Kammaradi.
A technical committee comprising
vice-chancellors of agriculture universities, representatives of
arecanut cooperative marketing societies and farmers’ organisations was
formed to work out the modalities on the formation of the board.
Following
the meeting, the commission will submit a proposal to the State
government on the formation of the board, Mr. Kammaradi told
presspersons here on Saturday.
The formation of a
separate board at a national level for arecanut cultivation on the model
of the existing boards for coffee, rubber, spices has been a
long-standing demand of the farmers.
The chairperson of Indian Institute of Plantation Management and other agriculture experts will be invited for the meeting.
After
the APC submits the proposal, the State government will request the
Centre to form the board by passing an Act in the Parliament, Mr.
Kammaradi explained.
He
added that the board would collect information on the area of
cultivation of arecanut, the total production, and quantum of imports
and would undertake a study and research pest management and
value-addition for the produce.
As more than 60
percent of the total area of cultivation of arecanut is in Karnataka,
the MPs from the State should also request the Centre to establish the
board, he said.
Initial opposition
Replying
to a query, he said that initially there was opposition from a section
of cooperative societies engaged in the marketing of arecanut towards
the formation of the board on the grounds that it would be run by
bureaucrats.
The APC has since convinced the
cooperative societies that there would be a fair representation of all
the stakeholders including farmers, marketing cooperative societies and
agriculture experts in the board, he said.
Source : The Hindu
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