CH NEWS, SHIVAMOGGA
The government’s order imposing a one-year ban on adak products such as gutka and paan masala has come as a huge shock to adak growers, mandis, and various cooperative societies including MAMCOS and TUMCOS, which trade in them.
Gutka was banned in the state earlier too, but now the ban on paan masala has been extended to include a note on the adaka growers. The price of adaka used to be good due to gutka and paan masala. Now the order will bring down the price of adaka. The growers have expressed their concern that if the price falls, there will be a situation where the growers will commit suicide.
This order of the state government is like strangling the adaka growers. It will also be the death knell for the adaka growers. The ban on gutka and pan masala will bring down the price of adaka. This will definitely cause hardship to the growers. This year, the rains have already decreased and the adaka yield has decreased due to drought. With this order, it seems that the government is going to reign over the grave of adaka growers. It is not right to ban adaka products instead of first detecting and preventing the mixing of adaka. Venkatesh, a adaka grower from Holehonnur, has demanded that the government withdraw this order.
The government order has left us all shocked. When gutka was banned, none of us opposed it. But, now the ban on arecamit paan masala is truly condemnable. There are crores of people who rely on the arecanut crop. We have given loans to adake farmers relying on this crop. Our life is based on this. The Association will hold a meeting on this issue, Prem, owner of the Arecanut in Shimoga APMC Malur, told.
Prashant Baru, Secretary of the Malnadu Adake Sales Cooperative Society Limited, said, this order of the state government will have a big impact on Adake Sales Cooperative Societies like us. Because we are doing business by trusting Adake. There is a business worth crores of rupees here. Due to this, all the Adake Sales Cooperative Societies like us will meet and take the next decision, he said.
