Development

Umpteen references for Arecanut are found way back from the time of Vedas in the Indian Socio-Cultural milieu. Arecanut is called “Poogeephala” in Sanskrit. It occupies a special significance in religious, especially in the Indian ritualistic sacrifices, weddings etc.

Similarly. Arecanut occupies one of the important roles as a major horticultural crop of Indian economy. It is grown in large quantities in Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Shimoga, Chitradurga and Tumkur Districts of Karnataka and Kasaragod, Kannur, Malappuram, Trishur and Tiruvanantapuram Districts of Kerala. The production of Arecanut in these two states marks nearly 65% of the national production of the crop.

Millions of families for many generations depend on the income generated by Arecanut crop for their livelihood in the Indian agrarian economy. It is common to find fluctuatins in the lifestyle of most of the Arecanut growers in the parts of Karnataka and Kerala directed by the price fluctuatin of the crop. Further, due to geographical limitatrins,people of the regin are restrictedfrom cultivating other commercial crops.

Importment Activities of the Trust during Recent Years:-

Krishi Yantra Mela I, 2009
• Mechanization is an important and urgent need of the farming community. In order to familiarize Mechanization among Areca Farmers, the Arecanut Research and Development Foundation ®, in association with the Farmer First Trust ®, Puttur and Vivekananda College of Engineering and Technology, Puttur had conducted first Arecanut Machinery Fair -2009 from 30-10-2009 to 01-11-2009 at Vivekananda College of Engineering and Technology, Puttur. In this Mela 35 different Arecanut Peeling Machines and Sprayers were exhibited with Value Added Products of Arecanut. About 30,000 farmers had participated in the Fair.

Krishi Yantra Mela II, 2012
• The Arecanut Research and Development Foundation[R] (ARDF); The CAMPCO Ltd., Mangalore and Vivekananda Engineering College, Puttur had jointly organized another Krishi Yanthra Mela II 2012 at Vivekananda Engineering College Grounds, Nehru Nagar, Puttur- 574 203, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, from 2-11-2012 to 04-11-2012. It was inaugurated by Dr.Sri.D.Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari, Shrikshethra, Dharmastala. In this programame Sri.Yogish Bhat, MLA, Mangalore North; Sri.Nalin Kumar Kateel, Member of Parliament,Mangalore; Smt.Mallika Prasad, M.L.A. Puttur were present. About 156 exhibition stalls were arranged along with field demonstrations and Seminars. On the last day of the Mela Sri. D. V. Sadananda Gowda, Ex.Chief Minister, Government of Karnataka and Sri. Karunakaran, Member of Parliament, Kasaragod, Kerala participated. About 1.5 lakhs of farmers and other stake holders of the farming community have participated in it.
  In this Mela, Manufactures of Agricultural Machineries, Innovators of new Agricultural Machines, Machineries manufactured and imported from China, Israel, etc, Farm irrigation and Plant protection equipments, improved Areca Peeling Machines, Machines meant for Dairy technology, non-conventional energy, Agriculture/Horticulture concerned, multi dimensional demonstrations and exhibitions were arranged. Farmers from 12 Areca growing districts of Karnataka and 5 districts of Kerala, altogether about one lakh Farmers had participated in this 3 days event. Provisions were also made for Seminars, Live demonstrations, one to one discussions and sale of Machineries.

Seminars on Mechanization in Farming
• The Arecanut Research and Development Foundation ®, in association with CAMPCO Ltd Mangalore, had conducted five Seminars, three in Daksina Kannada and one each in Shimogga and Uttara Kannada, to discuss the requirements of Areca Farmers of these regions in the field of Mechanization in Arecanut cultivation and its post harvest Technology. The first Seminar was held on 15-12-2011 at the Conference Hall of CAMPCO, Head Office, Mangalore involving farmers and various Agricultural machinery Manufacturers. The second Seminar was also held at the same venue one on 16-1-2014 involving the faculty of Engineering Colleges and another on 18-3-2014 involving innovative and progressive farmers. About 100 Elite Arecanut farmers from Kerala and Karnataka participated in each of the Seminar and expressed their views.

  Another Seminar was held at Shimoga with the cooperation of MAMCOS on 17-3-2014. About 200 farmers and Cooperative members of Shimoga Dt had participated in the Seminar. One more Seminar, for the benefit of Areca Farmers of Uttara Kannada Dt was held at Sirsi on 28-5-2014 with the cooperation of TSS, Sirsi. About 250 farmers and cooperative staff attended and expressed their views.

Estimation on Cost of Production of Arecanut
• During the year 2012 and 2014, on the direction of the State Government of Karnataka the Arecanut Research and Development Foundation ®, had made studies on the cost of production of Arecanut in Karnataka, for the years 2011-12 and 2012-13 separately, involving experts from the fields of Agriculture, Economics, Extension and Accounting. The committee recommended minimum Support Price for White and Red category of Arecanut separately and submitted their report to Karnataka Govt for those two years.

Seminar on Plant Protection Chemicals
• On 25-04-2012, the Arecanut Research and Development Foundation ®, in association with CAMPCO had conducted a Seminar on Plant Protection Chemicals and Fertilizers in Arecanut Farms involving scientists of CPCRI, Kasaragod and Vittal and Arecanut Research Station, Shimoga and private chemical manufactuers and distributors. It was observed that the Potassium Phosponate is the main constituent in the chemicals that are available in the market for control of Koleroga/ Mahali disease in place of 1% Bordeaux Mixture. About 500 farmers participated in the Seminar from Karnataka and Kerala.

Workshop on Alternate Uses of Arecanut
• The Arecanut Research and Development Foundation ®, had conducted a workshop on alternative uses of Arecanut in Ayurvedic Medicines at Swarnavalli Mutt, Sonda, Sirsi, Uttar Kannada on 28th and 29th April 2012 and experts in the Ayurvedic medicines made presentations on the medicinal uses of Arecanut in Ayurveda. About 100 experts in the field of Ayurvedic medicines participated in the workshop.

Demonstration of new Invensions
• The Arecanut Research and Development Foundation (ARDF), Mangalore in association with the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Vittal and the CAMPCO Ltd, Mangalore had organized a Demonstration of the recently innovated equipments useful in Arecanut cultivation at CPCRI Experimental fields at Vittal, Dakshina Kannada on 10-4-2014. Four innovators had come with their climbing and spraying devices and demonstrated them directly in thet field. Three hundred farmers had participated in the demonstration and interacted with the Innovators.

Meetings to discuss the problems faced by Areca Farmers in areca cultivation:

At Shimoga:
• The ARDF, in association with the MAMCOS, Ltd Shimoga and CAMPCO had organized a meeting of the office bearers of different Co-operative Areca Societies in and around Shimoga to get a first hand information on the problems faced by Areca Farmers of that region in the cultivation and post harvest operations of Arecanut Farming. The meeting was held at the Conference Hall of the MAMCOS at APMC yard, Shimoga on 17-3-2014. The Presidents / Secretaries of 12 Areca Co-operative Societies situated in and around Shimoga attended this meeting and expressed their views and ideas.

At Mangalore:
• The ARDF, in association with the CAMPCO had organized a meeting of Areca farmers, Agriculture Society members, Agriculture Scientists and Engineers and other dignitaries in the field of Agriculture, at the Conference Hall of the CAMPCO Office at Mangalore on 18-3-2014 to discuss on the requirements of farmers in the field of Mechanization in Arecanut Farming and Post Harvest Technology.
  

  Sri. Konkody Padmanabha, Managing Trustee of ARDF and President of the CAMPCO Ltd, Mangalore inaugurated the meeting. Sri. M. Suresh Bhandary, Managing Director of the CAMPCO Ltd, projected the areas suitable for Mechanization in Arecanut Farms. More than 100 progressive farmers attended and participated in the deliberations.

At Sirsi, Uttara Kannada:
• The ARDF, in association with TSS Sirsi and CAMPCO had organized a meeting of Areca Co-operative Society members, prospective Areca farmers and other dignitaries in the field of Agriculture on 28-5-2014 at the TMS Conference Hall, APMC Yard, Sirsi to discuss the problems faced by Arecanut farmers in the cultivation and marketing of arecanut in that region.

  Sri Konkody Padmanabha, President of the CAMPCO Ltd and Managing Trustee of ARDF, Mangalore chaired the meeting. Sri Shantharama Hegde, Sheegehalli, President of TSS Ltd, Sirsi; Sri G. M. Hegde, Hulagola, President of TAPCMS, Ltd, Sirsi; Sri Naresh Bhat, President, APMC, Sirsi; Sri Seetharama G Bhat, Director, the CAMPCO Ltd were the Chief Guests. The meeting was attended by about 200 farmers and other dignitaries. Most of the farmers were of the opinion that shortage of farm labourers is the main problem of Areca farmers in that region. There is an urgent need to popularize mechanization in Areca cultivation.

At Puttur, Dakshina Kannada:
• The ARDF along with the CAMPCO had organized a meeting of progressive farmers of Puttur region on 27-6-2014 at the Vivekananda College of Engineering and Technology, Puttur to discuss the problems faced by farmers in the cultivation and marketing of arecanut. The faculty members of nearby Engineering Colleges were also invited to participate and give their expert opinion and suggestion to solve the problems faced by areca farmers.

  Sri Konkodi Padmanabha, President, CAMPCO Ltd., and Managing Trustee, ARDF, Mangalore; Sri S.R. Rangamoorthy, President, VVS Puttur; Sri Radhakrishna Bhakta, Correspondent, VCET, Puttur and several other dignitaries attended the meeting. About 30 prospective farmers also attended and expressed their problems. All were of the opinion that there should be a programme to exhibit and demonstrate the available machineries in our country which will be of useful to areca farmers in one common platform. The Management of VVS Puttur agreed to conduct such exhibition at their College campus with the association of ARDF and CAMPCO during 2015.

Interaction between CIAE Scientists and innovative Areca Farmers:
• As the areca farmers are facing acute shortage of manpower for carrying out field as well as post harvest operations in Arecanut cultivation, the ARDF, along with the CAMPCO had arranged an interactive meeting between the Scientists of the Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Coimbatore and progressive and innovative Areca Farmers at CAMPCO Mangalore on 21-7-2014 to project the requirements of Areca farmers in the field of mechanization. The Principal Scientist and Head of the Station of CIAE, Dr. S.J.K. Annamalai along with another Senior Scientist Dr. Ravindra Naik and an Industrialist Sri N. R. Natarajan, from Coimbatore gave a power point presentation on mechanization in the field of Agriculture and Agriculture commodities. About 30 innovative farmers had participated in the meeting.