Kolkata, Feb. 8 -- State Agricultural Marketing minister Becharam Manna informed the farmers associated with betel leaf cultivation to stick to selling a single 'guchi' (collection) of the leaf comprising 70 leaves and ensure that there is no disparity in the market.
Manna attended two conventions on betel leaf one at Patharpratima in South 24-Parganas and another at Tamluk in East Midnapore with farmers and stockists associated with betel leaf dealings and made it clear that farmers should be paid the highest price for their production when there is an auction of betel leaves.
"The farmers are sometimes given lesser amount than the highest price declared in an auction thereby depriving them. Safeguarding the interest of the farmers is the state's top priority, hence it has been clarified that the amount announced in auction must be given to a farmer," said Manna.
From December 15, the state had mandated 70 leaves in a 'guchi' but there were complaints from some quarters that farmers were compelled to give 90-100.
"At the convention, I made them aware that they should stick to 70 leaves for their own best interest," said
the minister.
Presently, 3 lakh odd farmers in the state are associated with betel leaf cultivation. It is cultivated in some 17 odd
districts in the state but the majority of the production takes place at Tamluk in East Midnapore and Kakdwip-Patharpratima in South 24-Parganas.
The stockists buy the betel leaves from farmers and then the businessmen purchase them and export them to other states.
Betel leaf is a crop that comes under the Horticulture department, however, its marketing is overseen by the Agricultural Marketing department.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.