Agartala: Pabitra Kar, the secretary of the Tripura unit of the All India Krishak Sabha, claimed on Friday that betel leaf and areca nut growers in the state are highly vulnerable, alleging that the government has failed to work for their betterment.
Addressing a press conference, Kar stated that not only has the Remal agricultural system of the state collapsed, but also betel leaf and areca nut growers are facing significant challenges in horticulture.
He highlighted that there are approximately thousands of farmers engaged in this cultivation across Tripura, and those involved are facing severe financial instability.
Kar further stated that a 13-point charter of demands was presented before the Director of the Horticulture Department on behalf of the Betel Nut Growers Association, which is affiliated with the All India Krishak Sabha.
The demands include providing easy-term loans to betel leaf farmers, promoting betel nut cultivation under government initiatives, supporting growers affected by natural calamities, establishing a training and research center for betel cultivation, facilitating the sale of areca nut through cooperatives in Agartala, providing free mustard shell fertilizer and pesticides to betel growers, offering discounts on millet and bamboo tax, constructing greenhouses for betel leaf growers, and taking initiatives to expand betel nut cultivation, among others.
During a subsequent press conference, Kar mentioned that there are currently around 25,000 betel leaf and areca nut farmers in the state.
“In summary, the livelihoods of millions of people have become uncertain due to the government’s indifference. They are deprived of all necessary support for this cultivation, starting from mustard seed shell manure,” he added.
Babul Debnath, the State Committee Secretary of the Betel Leaf and Areca Nut Farmers Association, stated that they have made several decisions to safeguard the cultivation.
“I have demanded that betel growers should be covered under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi. The largest cold store in the Northeast was built in Tripura during the Left Front government, but it has become useless, resulting in a lack of storage facilities for excess production,” he noted.