Lok Sabha Question No. 1036 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-08
Subject: Export of Arecanut
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Nalin Kumar Kateel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1036 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08 TH  FEBRUARY,2023

## EXPORT OF ARECANUT

## 1036.   SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मं त्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether arecanut is imported from countries including Bhutan, Singapore and UAE;
- (b) if so, the details of the total arecanut imported in the country during the last three years and the current year, country-wise;
- (c) whether there has been an adverse impact of such import on the prices of arecanut in the domestic market;
- (d) if so, the details thereof along with the measures being taken by the Government to protect the interests of arecanut growers in the country;
- (e) whether it is a fact that many farmers in Arecanut growing States of Karnataka and Kerala are in distress due to widespread Yellow Leaf Disease (YLD) affecting arecanut plants; and
- (f) if so, the steps taken by the Government in arecanut sector, namely  ehabilitation/replanting programme and research studies for identifying measures for control of YLD?

## ANSWER

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## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

(a) & (b): Yes Sir.  Arecanut is imported from some countries including Singapore and UAE. However, there is no import of arecanut from Bhutan in last four years including the current financial year.  The details of the arecanut imported into the country during the last three years and the current year, country-wise are given at Annexure-I.

(c) & (d): Domestic price of arecanut is continuously increasing from Rs. 19,038/- per Quintal in 2017-18 to Rs. 35,481/- per Quintal in 2021-22 in respect of dry arecanut in Kozhikode market and similar increase in  domestic price of chali arecanut has been noticed in Sagar market  from  Rs.  20,847/-  per  Quintal  in  2017-18  to  Rs.  39,019/-  per  Quintal  in  2021-22.

Government of India have taken the following measures to discourage the import of arecanut and to protect the interests of arecanut growers in the country:-

(i) Basic Customs Duty on import of arecanut is already at Bound Rate of 100%.

(ii) Further, import of arecanut is prohibited if the Cost, Insurance & Freight (C.I.F.) value is below Rs. 251/- per Kg.  Precisely, the Government has imposed the condition of Minimum Import Price (MIP) @ Rs. 251/- per Kg on arecanut to restrict the unabated import and to prevent  entry  of  inferior  quality  arecanut  into  domestic  market  and  destabilization  of  the domestic prices.

(iii) The  Food  Safety  and  Standards  Authority  of  India  (FSSAI)  and  Bureau  of  India Standard (BIS) have developed the quality standards to restrict import of low quality arecanut.

(e) & (f): Yes Sir.  Government of India have constituted a National Scientific Committee (NSC) to address the issues of farmers affected by Leaf Spot Disease (LSD) and Yellow Leaf Disease (YLD) in arecanut plants in Karnataka and other States.

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Annexure-I

## Country-wise Import of Arecanut during last three F.Ys and current F.Y. 2022-23 (Till November, 2022) (QTY. in MT & VAL. in Million USD)

| ITCHS    | Description   | COUNTRY         | 2019-20   | 2019-20   | 2020-21   | 2020-21   | 2021-22   | 2021-22   | 2022-23 (Till NOV., 2022)   | 2022-23 (Till NOV., 2022)   |
|----------|---------------|-----------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
| ITCHS    | Description   | COUNTRY         | QTY       | VAL       | QTY       | VAL       | QTY       | VAL       | QTY                         | VAL                         |
| 08028010 | WHOLE         | CANADA          | 0.63      | 0.00      | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0                           | 0                           |
|          |               | INDONESIA       | 839.00    | 3.04      | 897.00    | 1.93      | 1184.20   | 2.70      | 966.03                      | 2.26                        |
|          |               | MALDIVES        | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 2.60                        | 0.02                        |
|          |               | MYANMAR         | 0         | 0         | 1590.00   | 5.86      | 1390.69   | 4.80      | 6954.51                     | 24.11                       |
|          |               | SINGAPORE       | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 27.00     | 0.14      | 0                           | 0                           |
|          |               | SRI LANKA DSR   | 54.00     | 0.20      | 244.00    | 0.91      | 1479.39   | 5.95      | 2482.00                     | 8.80                        |
|          |               | TANZANIA REP    | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 18.00                       | 0.06                        |
|          |               | U ARAB EMTS     | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 27.00     | 0.04      | 0                           | 0                           |
|          |               | VIETNAM SOC REP | 98.00     | 0.21      | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0                           | 0                           |
| 08028020 | SPLIT         | CANADA          | 0.50      | 0.00      | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0                           | 0                           |
|          |               | INDONESIA       | 3592.14   | 5.63      | 6741.08   | 11.74     | 1278.92   | 4.32      | 6505.00                     | 27.72                       |
|          |               | MALAYSIA        | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 221.59    | 0.79      | 375.00                      | 0.65                        |
|          |               | MYANMAR         | 0         | 0         | 205.00    | 0.58      | 734.45    | 2.44      | 4327.39                     | 15.24                       |
|          |               | NEPAL           | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 421.99    | 1.43      | 1826.82                     | 5.99                        |
|          |               | SINGAPORE       | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 52.00     | 0.14      | 81.00                       | 0.14                        |
|          |               | SRI LANKA DSR   | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 3.90                        | 0.02                        |
|          |               | U ARAB EMTS     | 0         | 0         | 216.80    | 0.78      | 885.96    | 1.94      | 2,350.00                    | 6.46                        |
| 08028030 | GROUND        | SRI LANKA DSR   | 321.00    | 1.29      | 89.00     | 0.35      | 0         | 0         | 0                           | 0                           |

| ITCHS                  | Description            | COUNTRY                | 2019-20                | 2019-20                | 2020-21                | 2020-21                | 2021-22                | 2021-22                | 2022-23 (Till NOV., 2022)   | 2022-23 (Till NOV., 2022)   |
|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
|                        |                        |                        | QTY                    | VAL                    | QTY                    | VAL                    | QTY                    | VAL                    | QTY                         | VAL                         |
| 08028090               | OTHER ARECA NUTS       | INDONESIA              | 2676.00                | 3.42                   | 2223.00                | 3.02                   | 3643.08                | 7.21                   | 4161.25                     | 13.73                       |
|                        |                        | MYANMAR                | 0                      | 0                      | 2022.76                | 7.17                   | 5520.63                | 19.88                  | 17307.32                    | 60.24                       |
|                        |                        | SINGAPORE              | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 14.00                  | 0.05                   | 135.04                      | 0.56                        |
|                        |                        | SRI LANKA DSR          | 9179.51                | 34.19                  | 9759.61                | 36.06                  | 8967.28                | 37.68                  | 12628.35                    | 46.78                       |
|                        |                        | U ARAB EMTS            | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 130.80                 | 0.67                   | 1328.00                     | 5.02                        |
|                        |                        | UNSPECIFIED            | 0                      | 0                      | 0.05                   | 0.00                   | 0                      | 0                      | 0                           | 0                           |
| Source: DGCIS, Kolkata | Source: DGCIS, Kolkata | Source: DGCIS, Kolkata | Source: DGCIS, Kolkata | Source: DGCIS, Kolkata | Source: DGCIS, Kolkata | Source: DGCIS, Kolkata | Source: DGCIS, Kolkata | Source: DGCIS, Kolkata | Source: DGCIS, Kolkata      | Source: DGCIS, Kolkata      |

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