The district had experienced good spells of summer showers, but they resulted in drenching large quantities of areca nuts kept for drying in the open. But, with the skies remaining overcast over the last few days, especially in the hilly hamlets of the district with sizeable cultivation area, the farmers are an agonised lot.
“We always have to remain in constant vigil and cover up the semi-dried areca nuts in the event of unexpected rains,” K. Balaraman Nair, a farmer in Parappa block panchayat, said.
Some farmers had to rely on labourers to collect the areca nuts spread out for drying and to cover the heaped up nuts with plastic sheets over, he said.
“With the old stocks of areca nut fetching market prices in the range of Rs.180 a kg and the fresh produce priced at just Rs.120 a kg, we will have to remain vigilant against the possibility of the rain spoiling the quality of the produce further,” M. Ranjith Nambiar, another areca nut grower in the district, said.
The northernmost district of Kerala is known for its top-quality areca nut, but cultivation has turned expensive owing to the rising cost of production coupled with acute shortage of traditional labourers.
The wages of all categories of semi-skilled labourers have increased leaps and bounds. For instance, the charge paid for dehusking areca nuts is put at Rs.10 a kg against Rs.6 a kg last season.
The prolonged rain spell was not good for the cashew nut crop either, Mr. Nambiar said.
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