CAMPCO urges Karnataka Govt. to release ₹5 crore to ARDF

Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative Ltd. has appealed to the Karnataka Government to release ₹5 crore to the Arecanut Research and Development Foundation for research and allied activities

Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (CAMPCO) Ltd. has appealed to the State Government to release ₹5 crore to the Arecanut Research and Development Foundation (ARDF) for research and allied activities.

In a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai recently, president of the cooperative A. Kishore Kumar Kodgi said that then Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa released ₹1 crore to the foundation in 2009.

In addition to research, the foundation had also organised machinery fairs to expose farmers to the latest trends in mechanisation. The foundation is yet to take up more activities for the benefit of farmers and hence the funds are required, he said.

Mr. Kodgi said that yellow leaf disease (YLD) has hit arecanut plantations in Sullia, Koppa, Sringeri, and Madikeri taluks. Farmers whose plantations have been affected are unable to pay the loans taken from cooperative societies. Hence the Government should waive loans of such farmers and extend financial assistance to them to switch over to alternative crops.

He said that the GST on arecanut should be reduced from 5% to 2%. It will help to reduce tax evasion by other players in the arecanut marketing as the cooperative societies complied with 100% GST payment on arecanut.