The elected representatives argue that the decision would badly affect areca growers.
| Photo Credit: File Photo
Elected representatives from areca-growing regions, including Shivamogga, have opposed the Karnataka government’s ban on the sale of gutka, pan masala and other tobacco- or nicotine-containing products, arguing that the decision would badly affect areca growers.Tirthahalli MLA and former Minister Araga Jnanendra, who is also president of Federation of Arecanut Marketing Cooperative Societies, said gutka contained areca, and hence the ban on gutka and pan masala would impact areca growers. “Areca is currently grown in over 145 taluks of the State, with nearly 10 lakh families engaged in its cultivation. Following the government order, the price of areca has fallen by ₹2,000 per quintal in the market. We want the government to come to the rescue of the growers; until an alternative use for areca is established, the growers need protection,” he said.Mr. Jnanendra, who is himself an areca grower, said he would not oppose the ban on gutka once an alternative use for areca was found. He led a delegation of elected representatives from areca-growing regions to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar in Bengaluru and urged him to withdraw the ban. The delegation included legislators from all parties.Former Minister D.N. Jeevaraj, in a social media post, said that when the marketing of gutka in plastic sachets was banned by the Union government in 2011, the decision had affected the price of areca. “Following the ban, gutka companies reduced the quantity of areca they purchased. Similarly, with the current ban on the sale of gutka, prices will fall, affecting the growers. It is the responsibility of the government to safeguard the interests of the growers,” he said.Why not cigarettes?Ramesh Hegde, president of the Shivamogga District Arecanut Growers’ Association and also a Congress leader, said the ban was not new. “As many as 23 States and five Union Territories have already issued similar notifications banning gutka containing tobacco. It is not a new thing. The State government should consider the interests of areca growers before taking such decisions,” he said.He further questioned why governments keen on banning gutka containing 6% to 7%, do not ban cigarettes containing 100% tobacco.The ban has already affected the price of areca at the Shivamogga market. Prices of the Hasa, Bette and Rashi varieties fell on Thursday compared with the previous day, Wednesday. The minimum price for Hasa stood at ₹50,509 per quintal on Thursday, down from ₹60,399 on Wednesday. Similarly, the minimum price of Bette fell from ₹55,009 to ₹50,014 per quintal, and that of Rashi fell from ₹47,199 to ₹45,589 per quintal. Published - August 13, 2026 07:42 pm IST
