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Betel leaf farming no longer a lucrative prospect for Maharashtra farmers

Farmers in Indapur region of Maharashtra do not find betel leaf farming a lucrative prospect anymore. Two consecutive years of erratic monsoon, spells of hailstorms coupled with a drought this year have affected the betel leaf farms badly.

Farmers in Indapur region of Maharashtra do not find betel leaf farming a lucrative prospect anymore. Two consecutive years of erratic monsoon, spells of hailstorms coupled with a drought this year have affected the betel leaf farms badly.

The farmers say this is the first time since 1972 that they have seen such a situation. Nimgaon Ketaki, one of the main villages that cultivates betel leaves, has seen 50% of the crop in the area drying due to the hot sun. Locals are finding it difficult to meet production costs for past two to three years and are left wondering if they should continue betel farming at all.

According to the farmers of Indapur near Pune, the number of betel farms in the region has gone down by 25-30%. During the last two seasons, farmers suffered losses due to hailstorms. Besides low demand, it is the rising input cost, primarily for irrigation, that is discouraging betel farmers.

Normally the leaves begin drying from May onwards. However, this year the leaves have withered in March itself because of the drought. The farmers are forced to invest in water tankers that cost R2,300 per tanker to keep their farms alive. They have had to spend more than R50,000 on tankers alone to keep their farms going. Since it is a tropical plant, growing betel in the such climate requires extra care and attention. The farmers say the cost involved in watering has become a major hurdle in betel farming lately.

Betel is vulnerable to even the slightest weather change. “Paan cannot be harvested if temperature goes beyond 40 degrees C,” said a farmer. Once temperatures cross 40 degrees C, they turn yellow and drop prematurely.

Recent increase in the cost of labour and farm inputs has added to farmers’ woes. For instance, to put up a betel greenhouse, a farmer needs stacks of bamboo sticks. Earlier, state governments used to provide bamboo at subsidised rates. Besides, betel cultivation is labour-intensive. A betel leaf garden requires frequent watering, plucking of leaves, applying fertilisers and pesticides and maintenance of the enclosure. This costs around R50,000 per acre annually, fertilizers cost another R30,000 per year and the sheds cost around R30,000/year while labour costs have gone up to R50,000 annually which means the farmer end up investing nearly R1.5 lakh per acre annually. This year farmers have suffered 90% losses.

Betel leaf is popularly known as paan in the country and the betel vine in a dark green colour with a heart shape is widely used during religious events and festivals. It is known for its health benefits. There are more than 90 varieties of betel vine worldwide of which 45 are found in India and 30 varieties are grown in West Bengal itself.

Betel leaves are grown in the tropics and and the sub tropics that are used as chewing stimulants. Betel leaf is grown as a cash crop in southern parts of india such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is also grown in West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh.

India exports betel leaves to neighbouring countries. Betel leaves are primarily imported from India by EU countries with large Asian populations. Many retail stores and Asian culinary stores import betel leaves for sale. India’s annual export of betel leaves is close to $ 500,000 with the UK accounting for 20% of the export.

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First published on: 21-04-2016 at 06:08 IST
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