The Arecanut Crop Crisis Persists in India and Extends to Bhutan: The Rural Mirror Focus Report
Saturday, June 21, 2025
Farmers in Bhutan and India are grappling with a significant decline in arecanut production, driven by prolonged dry spells, pest infestations, and disease outbreaks. Despite an increase in the number of arecanut trees planted in Bhutan over the past three years, yields have plummeted, threatening the livelihoods of farmers in Samtse and other regions. In India, particularly in Karnataka, which accounts for around 80% of the country’s arecanut output, farmers face similar challenges, with crop losses of 35-40% in 2022 due to diseases like yellow leaf disease, fruit rot, and blast disease, compounded by excessive rainfall.
According to a report by The Rural Mirror, Bhutan’s arecanut production has seen a sharp decline, even as farmers expand cultivation efforts. The article highlights how erratic weather patterns, including prolonged dry spells, have disrupted crop cycles, while pests continue to wreak havoc.
In India, the situation is exacerbated by relaxed import policies, notably the 2022 decision to allow 17,000 tonnes of green arecanut from Bhutan without a minimum import price, leading to a price crash from Rs 58,000 to Rs 39,000 per quintal by December. These challenges have sparked concerns among farmers’ associations and cooperatives, who are urging governments to implement protective measures like higher import duties and crop insurance to stabilize markets and support growers.
The arecanut, a vital cash crop in India and a significant agricultural product in Bhutan, faces additional pressures from climate change. In Bhutan, 57% of the population depends on agriculture, yet the country imports nearly 30% of its food, making it vulnerable to crop failures. Indian farmers, particularly in Karnataka, Kerala, and Assam, which together produce 88.59% of the country’s arecanut, are also battling high cultivation costs, labor shortages, and inadequate pest management knowledge.
Experts suggest that adopting high-yielding cultivars like Mangala and Sumangala, along with improved intercropping systems such as arecanut-pepper, could help mitigate losses. However, without coordinated policy interventions, the future of arecanut farming remains uncertain.
Both nations are now at a crossroads, with farmers calling for research into climate-resilient varieties and better market protections. The crisis underscores the need for sustainable agricultural practices and robust support systems to safeguard this economically and culturally significant crop.
Credit: This article draws on insights from The Rural Mirror’s report, “The Problem of Arecanut Crop Is Not Only in India, Also in Bhutan,” published on theruralmirror.com.
Keywords: arecanut, betel nut, India, Bhutan, crop decline, dry spells, pests, yellow leaf disease, blast disease, climate change, Karnataka, farmers, agriculture, crop loss, minimum import price, sustainable farming