KENDRAPARA: After the hard Covid times, the business of betel leaf farmers of Kendrapara district seems to be looking up. If sources are to be believed, the price of the leaves is likely to reach Rs 1,500 per 1,000 units in a couple of weeks .
“With lockdown imposed, many farmers found it tough to transport the leaves to big cities like Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai to sell. But now we are selling a thousand units of good quality betel leaves for Rs 1,000 in the market,” said Jagannath Das, a farmer.
Brundaban Das of Suniti village said, the betel leaves of Kendrapara district are popular in Middle Eastern countries due to their size, pungency and thick stalk. “With their unique aroma and subtle taste, betel leaves from our area continue to be a hit among paan lovers so much so that our leaves are exported to other countries,” he said.
Rangadhar Rout, a farmer of Ramanagar village reportedly earned a fortune by selling 2,00,000 leaves to a trader from outside the state. Around 5,000 betel leaf farmers too are doing good business by selling to traders of other states.
The Covid-induced lockdown had forced the farmers to sit idle. Around 300 betel leaf farmers of Jamboo village of Mahakalapada block were badly hit as the price of betel leaves dipped to Rs 400-Rs 500 for a thousand units.