MANGALURU: Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta has raised concerns about the plight of arecanut growers affected by the yellow disease in the region. Speaking in the House, he highlighted the widespread impact of the disease on arecanut farmers and called for remedial measures. India, the world’s largest producer and consumer of arecanut, relies heavily on this crop, which also holds cultural significance.
Dakshina Kannada, with a gross cropped area of 1.7 lakh hectares, devotes nearly 50% (84,157 hectares) to arecanut cultivation. However, the yellow leaf disease, caused by phytoplasma and spread by plant hoppers, has led to massive crop losses. Campco reported that over 16,000 hectares of areca plantations have been destroyed, affecting 6,000 farmers.
Chowta proposed a one-time compensation for affected farmers and funding for establishing a research center to develop disease-resistant areca varieties and control the spread of the disease. He emphasized the need for collective action and commitment to safeguard the future of arecanut cultivation in the region.