LOW YIELD OF BETEL NUTS HITS RURAL ECONOMY IN ASSAM THIS YEAR

MONOJ GOGOI

 It's the harvesting period of betel nut or supari (areca nut) in Assam. But the yield of betel nuts is discernibly low this year in all the districts of Assam compared to previous years.

  

 Chandan Boro, who plucks betel nuts, with Ranjit Basumatary and Raju Basumatary in this season in various villages under Gogamukh revenue circle of Dhemaji district in Assam says that in this harvesting season of betel nuts they are not getting as much works as they did in previous years. He says in the orchards where we plucked 20 quintals last year, this year's yield in the same orchard is less than 5 quintals. In many trees not even a single nut is found and in which trees nuts are there, it's comparatively very few. 

 Ranjit Basumatary says we are roaming from village to village but the situation is the same. "We are shocked to see the drastic change in the crop yields", he adds. 

 Biren Pegu, a betel nut grower from Goroimari area under Kadam revenue circle of Lakhimpur district says that this year the betel nut yields have reduced to only about 25 percent. It's one of the major cash crops in villages. This may affect the village economy. 

 Assam's Nagaon district produces the highest quantity of betel nuts in the state but the situation is the same in Nagaon also. Dharani Saikia, a social worker and campaigner of environmental issues in Nagaon and Morigaon districts says, "Earlier I thought that betel nuts are found low only in the flood affected areas in the districts but later I noticed that the situation is same in every village. The reason behind it is still unknown".

When betel nut growers and villagers in Assam are asked about this crop failure they argue about the mobile towers. Dr Deepa Borborah, horticulture department of Assam Agriculture University (AAU) also emphasizes that electromagnetic radiation from the mobile phone towers are vehemently affecting yields of betel nut and coconut in the state. 

A senior district level agriculture officer, on condition of anonymity, unofficially tells that erratic rainfall and prolonged dry spell were the primary causes of low crop yield of betel nuts in the state. Rainfall during the pollination period hampered the pollination process which resulted in less crop yields. 

Assam is the third largest betel nut producing state in the country just after Karnataka and Kerala. The production of betel nuts in the state were almost the same over the past decade but this year's sudden reduction is shocking. 

Betel nut is an integral part of Assamese culture. Most of the Assamese people eat tamul paan (piece of betel nut with betel leaf) and serve guests with tamul paan at home. In any ritual or celebration including marriage in Assamese society, tamul paan is regarded as integral and most respectful part and without tamul paan the rituals are almost impossible. In upper Assam districts people used tamul paan (kachcha betel nut) but in lower Assam's districts supari (dried, cured betel nut) is used. 

Low productivity and supply to other places for processing, the price of betel nut is skyrocketing in the markets. The price of a poon (80 betel nuts together make a poon) is ranging between Rs 240 to Rs 400 from place to place in the state. Besides in number, it's also sold in weight. In the markets in various places of the state, the price range of betel nuts varies between Rs 4200 to Rs 5000 per quintal.

Many betel nut growers think that price may rise in an unprecedented way during later monsoon or after monsoon as there will be a scarcity. Ramesh Dutta, a farmer in Dhemaji decides to preserve by digging down his produce to sell when the price will rise. Small scale betel nut sellers have also been warning the small scale farmers in good will not sell their betel nuts right at this time and suggest to observe the growing prices.

Abu Das, a betel nut supplier based in Gogamukh says, "In the peak months of the season, February, March and April I usually supplied between 20 - 30 tons each day in previous years but surprisingly this year I can collect 10 tons in 3 - 4 days. This is not the situation of only Dhemaji district but of the entire state." He also says that this time one-fifth of betel nuts have only the shells not nut inside. He adds the change in the weather may be the primary cause of low yields. It was continuous rain till the month of September and after that no rain till February, that's too nominal. A change is quite visible in the pattern of rainfall and temperature.