Mangalore :Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, Dakshina Kannada raised the issue of the need to protect the interests of domestic  arecanut growers who are distressed due to the decline in the price of the produce caused by  import of low-priced areca nut, under rule 377 in the parliament today.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha he said that India imports arecanut mainly from Bangladesh and Nepal. The prices of locally grown varieties have declined with imported arecanut costing much less than the domestic produce.

He reiterated that members of parliament from arecanut growing States in the South and East have already requested to increase the price for imported arecanuts. He expressed the confidence that  with the increase in import price, the price of locally produced acrecanut will not go below Rs 100 a kg in the domestic market giving much needed , relief to growers.

He said that the  Union Government  had not appointed a senior counsel to argue the case in the Supreme Court to safeguard the interests of the arecanut growers. Neither has it initiated any steps to

withdraw the Affidavit in SLP No.16308 of 2007, he lamented.

“High taxes in some arecanut producing States have discouraged private traders’ participation. There has to be rationalization of taxes in the country to curb market distortions. Currently, taxes  on arecanut vary from State to State. If there is uniform tax, traders will purchase from farmers directly”,  he said.

“I urge the Union Ministries of Agriculture and Commerce and Industry to protect the interests of arecanut growers” he added.