The Hindu Business Line : Shortage of skilled labour hits arecanut sector

Arecanut growers go jittery when they need the services of skilled labour for their plantations. In spite of the demand for such labourers in the plantations, growers are facing their shortage.

Arecanut sector needs skilled labour for spraying copper sulphate mixture on plants during the rainy season and for plucking arecanut during the harvesting season. As the yield of the crop depends on these activities, growers cannot do away with them. Ageing of existing skilled labour and lack of interest among the youth to take up these activities are seen as the major reasons for this trend.

Mr M. Srinivasa Achar, President of the All-India Areca Growers' Association, told Business Line that though there is a good demand for skilled labour, only a few youth come for these jobs. Stating that those venturing into these activities will get a good income, he said, "Even a farmer will not get such an income."

Mr Sridhar G. Bhide, President of the Mangalore Agriculturists Sahakari Sangha (MASS), said the number of skilled labourers in arecanut sector had come down by nearly 40 per cent in the last 10 years.

Mr Bhide, who is also a rubber grower, said there was also shortage of skilled labour to tap rubber in plantations. However, the introduction of D5 system of rubber tapping has helped growers a lot. (In this system, growers tap rubber from a particular tree once in five days rather than every day. Such a system is difficult to introduce in arecanut plantations, as the services of skilled labour are needed during a particular period of time. In the case of spraying copper sulphate mixtures, skilled labour's services are required during the rainy season. Growers feel that mechanisation in these areas could help ease the problems.

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