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Betel leaf output declines in Anthiyur
| Pests have attacked the root, stem and leaf of the plant, leading to drop in yield |
Cultivation falls: Betel leaf cultivation in and around Anthiyur has been on the decline over the past few years. —
ANTHIYUR: Betel leaf cultivation in and around Anthiyur is on the decline and if farmers’ words are anything to go by, the indigenous variety may become extinct in the near future. Farmers in and around Anthiyur have cultivated betel leaf for long. As per farmers’ information, about 2,000 acres were under the leaf until about a decade ago.
“Almost everywhere in this area, farmers cultivated betel leaf, which was the major crop. The reason was that remuneration from the leaf was good,” says N. Ammasai Gounder of Pudukattu Pudur in Michael Palayam in Anthiyur Union.
The betel leaf farmer of 20 years says they used to harvest every 15 days from the eighth month and the money they got was good.
“Every 15 days we harvested at least 30,000 leaves from an acre.”
For the farmers, the leaf was beneficial in more ways than one in that the creeper climbed on drumstick trees, the leaves of which they used as cattle feed. All was well in the region until a few years ago, when the decline began.
“It started with a pest attack, followed by another one and then another... today there are not more than four or five pests attacking the plant in the root, stem and leaf,” says S. Ramakrishnan, another betel leaf farmer.
The pests inflicted damage in the form of root rot, stem rot and leaf which is dotted with black spots. The farmer says they tried various measures including spraying pesticides, but to no avail.
“Only the input cost went up and nothing else happened,” he rues.
As a result the cultivation has come down. “The area under beetle leaf has come down by at least 60 per cent,” says Mr. Ammasai Gounder and adds that today the beetle cultivation area is just around 1,000 acres.
A few other farmers like Mr. Ramakrishnan have turned to other crops, particularly turmeric.
“What is the point if the yield is poor and input cost higher,” he asks.
The farmers’ other problem is that the crop is not included in the list of horticulture crops and the Government has devised no special scheme.
A Horticulture Department officer, on conditions of anonymity, says the Government has not formulated a scheme for beetle leaf, as it is not under the list of horticulture crops in the district.
He adds that the reason for increase in pest attack is farmers not going in for crop rotation and climatic condition. The officer, however, failed to explain what difference there would be in climate and soil in the region and in the last few years.
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