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News: Researchers and farmers are now trying to restore traditional soppina betta lands and return to more sustainable practices related to arecanut cultivation.
About Areca Nut Cultivation in India
About Arecanut Cultivation
- It is usually referred to as Areca palm, yellow palm, butterfly palm etc. The arecanut palm is the source of a common chewing nut, popularly known as betel nut or Supari.
- Grading: Arecanut kernels are boiled, and then areca precipitates are added after removing the husk.
- Afterwards, the nuts are dried and sorted into different grades like Nuli, Hasa, Rashi, Bette, and Gorabalu based on their market worth.
- Favourable conditions
- Location: It is mostly confined to 28º north and south of the equator.
- Temperature: It grows well within the temperature range of 14ºC and 36ºC .
- It is adversely affected by temperatures below 10ºC and above 40ºC.
- Soil: It can be grown upto 1000 m altitude in deep and well- drained soils without high water table.
- Laterite, red loam and alluvial soils are most suited.
- Ideal rainfall: 750 mm to 4500 mm/ Irrigation
- Season: June – December is found to be the optimum.
- Diseases
- Bud rot or Mahali disease
- Yellow Leaf Disease
- Foot rot or Anabe
India’s Status in Areca Nut Cultivation
- India is the world’s largest producer of areca nuts.
- It accounts for about 63% of total global production.
- Total Production in India: In 2023–24, India produced approximately 14 lakh tonnes of areca nuts from 9.49 lakh hectares.
- Largest Producing state: Karnataka ranks first, with a production of 10 lakh tonnes from 6.76 lakh hectares, followed by Kerala, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and others.
- Varieties grown: Key varieties include Mangala, Sumangala, Sreemangala, Mohitnagar, Thirthahalli, Mettupalayam and Sreevardhan.
- Major export destinations: It include the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Nepal, Malaysia, and the Maldives.
- In 2023–24, India exported 10,637 tonnes of areca nuts worth ₹400 crore.
- Total market value: The total market value of areca nuts produced in the country is approximately ₹58,664 crore as per current prices.
