Capt. Chowta to facilitate meeting of arecanut growing area legislators for action plan to combat diseases

Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament Capt. Brijesh Chowta speaking at the inauguration of the programme, at Guthigaru in Sullia taluk on Wednesday

| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament Capt. Brijesh Chowta on Wednesday, said he will soon arrange a consultative meeting of people’s representatives from the arecanut growing areas to discuss various diseases affecting arecanut, market problems and other issues. The issues affecting the need a proper discussion with an action plan to address them.He was speaking at the inauguration of the “Information and Dialogue Programme on Leaf Spot Disease Management in Arecanut” organised by Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Kasargod and Guthigaru Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society, at Guthigaru in Sullia taluk.An action plan is needed after the results of the demonstration plantation already done by scientists in areca disease control. For this, community participation is required. Capt. Chowta said today, agriculture needs to become smart besides scientific guidance. Farmers also need to be aware of chemicals and fake chemicals. They should be prepared to face the challenges of agriculture in the coming days and think one step ahead in farming, he said.CPCRI Director K.B. Hebbar said collective measures are needed to control the leaf spot disease. Control measures need to be implemented at the community level. Model gardens are already being set up for this. If farmers implement the same model in other places, the disease can be controlled. Farmers, organisations and scientists need to work together, he said.CPCRI’s Quinquennial Review Team (QRT) Committee Chairman T. Janakiram said a lot of work has been done in the Institute in the last five years. Various new varieties are made available to farmers. Even now, everyone needs to fight together in disease control, he said. Young farmers are becoming agricultural entrepreneurs and employers, so research and study are being done more in agriculture as well, he said.Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) President S. R. Satishchandra said arecanut crop is in a critical situation due to various diseases. Stakeholders should work together to overcome the diseases.Guthigaru Society President Jayaprakash Mogra, All India Arecanut Growers Association President Mahesh Puchchappady and others were present. Published - April 29, 2026 10:14 pm IST