Arecanut: Karnataka's Supari

Where and How Arecanut Is Grown

Karnataka's Shivamogga, Davangere (Channagiri), Chitradurga, Chikkamagaluru, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada (Sirsi) districts grow most of India's arecanut, followed by Kerala (Kasaragod, Kannur) and Assam. The palm takes five to seven years to bear and needs plenty of water. Nuts are either harvested tender, boiled and dried into red supari (common in the Malnad region), or allowed to ripen and dried whole for chali (white supari) in coastal Karnataka and Kerala. Yellow leaf disease is the main threat.

• CAMPCO Ltd (Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Co-operative)Mangaluru · major arecanut and cocoa cooperativeAboutExplore
• TUMCOSChannagiri · arecanut growers' cooperativeAboutExplore
• MAMCOSShivamogga · Malnad arecanut marketing cooperativeAboutExplore
• Shivamogga APMCRed arecanut marketAboutExplore
• Sirsi TSSSirsi · arecanut cooperative and marketAboutExplore

Uses and Value Chain

Arecanut is chewed with betel leaf in paan, sold as sweetened supari and mouth fresheners, and used by pan masala makers. Cooperatives such as CAMPCO buy from growers and sell to traders in Gujarat, Maharashtra and the North, which are the main consuming regions. Arecanut leaf sheaths are pressed into eco-friendly plates, a small but growing export product.

Quality and Grading

Red supari is graded as rashi, bette, saraku, gorabalu and other local grades by size, colour and cut. Chali (white supari) is graded as new and old chali, with old (stored) chali fetching a premium. Moisture, mould and insect damage reduce prices sharply.

Price Drivers and Imports

Prices depend on the Karnataka and Kerala crop, demand from pan masala makers, and on how well imports are controlled. Cheap arecanut from Southeast Asia entering through neighbouring countries depresses prices, so the government sets a minimum import price and growers' cooperatives press for strict checks. Yellow leaf disease in Malnad and the long gestation of new gardens limit supply.

Arecanut by State

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Related: Cotton · Cashew · Coconut · Arecanut · Rubber · Tobacco · Dry Fruits · All crops · Soils.in for farmer help

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