Source : The Hindu Date : 20.06.2009
Government releases Rs. 1 crore for ARDF
Raviprasad Kamila
| Foundation to work on two machines for areca farmers |
— Photo: R. Ewarraj 
MANPOWER CRISIS: An areca plantation near Mangalore.
MANGALORE: The State Government has released Rs. 1 crore to the city-based Arecanut Research and Development Foundation (ARDF) for research and development activities.
Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who inaugurated a conference on “future of arecanut” hosted by the foundation here on August 9, 2008, had announced that the Government would sanction Rs. 2 crore to the foundation.
He had said that the Government would examine if the foundation could be given recognition.
Now the foundation was managed by a trust under the auspices of the Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative Ltd. (Campco).
S.R. Rangamurthy, executive trustee of the foundation and president of the Campco, told The Hindu on Friday that the Government released Rs. 1 crore a month ago. The Chief Minister said that the balance promised amount would be released once the foundation utilised the amount released.
He said the immediate priority of the foundation was to get two equipment for farmers.
One was to de-husk raw arecanut after harvesting and the other was to climb areca trees for spraying pesticides and harvesting.
Mr. Rangamurthy said that areca growers were facing acute shortage of workers. Skilled workers were needed for de-husking raw arecanut and to climb areca trees. All agriculture workers could not do that.
As areca growers had not taken to farm mechanisation in a big way, use of machinery would help farmers overcome shortage of skilled and unskilled workers.
He said the foundation was holding discussions with three companies to develop such equipment.
It would sign an agreement with the short-listed company for developing these equipment.
He said that in 2007, the foundation released to the market Pooga syrup and Pooga trim (powder) made of arecanut and other ingredients for medicinal use. Pooga in Sanskrit means arecanut. They were the results of research on alternative use of arecanut initiated by the foundation.
The foundation initiated the research through Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara Ayurveda Pharmacy, Udupi.
Badanaje Shankar Bhat, a Vitla-based arecanut researcher, gave preliminary formulations to the pharmacy to develop research.
Narayana Sharma of SDM Ayurveda Hospital, Udupi, and his team conducted the clinical trials and developed final formulation of the two medicines.
The syrup was used to treat respiratory-related allergies and to correct hunger-related problems. Pooga trim was used to reduce obesity and control diabetes.
Directorate of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy (ISMH) had given licence for the commercial manufacture of two Ayurvedic medicines using white arecanut.
Mr. Rangamurthy said the foundation had to concentrate on launching value added arecanut products for mass consumption. Only then it would help many farmers as it would create a huge market for the produce.
Manchi Srinivasa Achar, trustee of the foundation and president of Puttur-based All India Areca Growers’ Association, told The Hindu that the foundation was thinking of data related to areca production, area under the crop and its movement in market.
Mr. Achar said the foundation was planning to have its own areca garden and separate premises to help research and development activities.
