PATHANAMTHITTA: “Till two weeks ago, I thought everything will become normal soon. The farmers here were selling one bundle (80 leaves) of betel for Rs 200. Since the second Covid wave has become severe, the price has come down toRs 5 for one bundle. What should we do? We are now plucking the leaves and abandoning them,” said 65-year-old Rajan T S, a traditional betel leaf farmer from Elanthoor.
Pathanamthitta district is one of the major places in the state known for betel farming and it had been providing a decent income for over 1,800 farmers for many years. The condition of traditional betel leaf farmers in the district has become pathetic now due to decreased demand and low price for their produce amid the second wave of the pandemic.
According to them, they have not faced this kind of situation in the past 30 years of farming. Parakode block panchayat in Adoor taluk is the major centre of betel farming in the hilly district and over 1,000 farmers have been engaged in betel cultivation here. Sureshkumar G, a 40-year-old betel farmer hailing from Pallickal village in Parakode, said they are going through the most difficult situation in their life now.
“We should at least get Rs 50 for one bundle to receive the money spent for farming alone. The current price is Rs 5 for one bundle and how we can survive with this price? I am planning to quit the cultivation,” he said. “Betel cultivation is easy and was very profitable. If a sapling is planted, harvesting can be started after four months and leaves can be plucked in every week. From one sapling, leaves can be plucked for one to two years. We are mainly using cow dung, bone meal and ashes as manure for the plants,” said Ramesh Babu, a betel farmer from Thonniamala.
“After the outbreak of the pandemic, many Gulf returnees also stepped into the shoes of betel farmers here. The production has doubled. However, the Covid-18 affected the market of our products. But, we were gradually returning to normal and were getting between Rs 120 and Rs 260 for one bundle,” said Sureshkumar. The farmers are mainly selling their betel leaves in markets in Pandalam and Parakode. The major buyers are from Tamil Nadu, Idukki and Kottayam districts.
Sanjushamol R, the field assistant of State Horticulture Mission, said they are providing various support for the betel farmers. “The Horticulture Mission is providing a subsidy of Rs 40,000 per hector for betel farming. The local bodies are giving various subsidies to encourage farming,” she said.