For arecanut growers, the biggest concern may be emerging at the farm rather than in the market. A discussion among farmers and agriculturists in the Krishi Vichara Vinimaya group, with most participants from Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragod districts, has brought labour costs, shortage of workers, disease and rising input expenses into focus. Interestingly, the group’s poll suggests that market price is not the primary concern for many growers.
A poll conducted as part of the discussion recorded 53 votes for labour cost, making it the most prominent concern. Labour shortage received 35 votes, disease 33, fertiliser and medicine costs 20, while market price received only seven votes. Poll had 75 participants. Since the total votes across the options were higher than the number of participants, the figures indicate that participants could select more than one concern.
Labour emerges as the immediate pressure
Young agriculturist Avinash Navodaya identified labour cost and availability among the major problems. He also pointed to kole roga (fruit rot) and elechukki roga, along with rising prices of copper sulphate, fertilisers and pesticides.
He said inputs such as urea and superphosphate can also be unavailable at times, adding to the difficulties faced by growers. Navodaya gave a rough estimate of around ₹1.5 lakh per acre as cultivation expenditure, while acknowledging that the actual cost could vary.
‘Where are the young people?’
Shortage of agricultural labour is closely linked to another concern raised during the discussion — the declining participation of young people in farming.
Agriculturist T. R. Suresh described the shortage of youth as one of the major problems facing agriculture. His concern was not limited to arecanut. He questioned the growing indifference towards agriculture even when arecanut prices are around ₹500 per kg.
If agriculture does not attract young people even when a major plantation crop is fetching a relatively strong price, he asked, what would be the situation for farmers growing rice, vegetables and fruits? Observation points to a larger issue facing rural areas: who will cultivate the land in the years ahead?
Agriculture has always involved uncertainty
For Agriculturist P. T. Bhat, the difficulty is fundamental. He described agriculture as a profession where earning money easily is difficult and where sustained effort does not necessarily guarantee success. Uncertainty comes from several directions - weather, yield, labour, disease, input costs and market prices.
Is ₹500 really enough?
Discussion also questioned whether the market price alone can be used to judge the profitability of arecanut cultivation. Suresh pointed out that a farmer's annual income depends partly on the ability to hold produce during periods of price fluctuation. A farmer who has the financial capacity to wait for a better price may be in a different position from one who has to sell immediately to meet cultivation or household expenses.
But Surya Bhat argued that the question of a fair price goes even deeper. According to him, the cost of cultivation should not be calculated merely by looking at expenses incurred during one particular year.
Yields can vary from year to year. Rainfall can be higher or lower. Farmers may suddenly have to spend on wells, borewells, pumpsets or machinery repairs. Maintenance, depreciation, insurance and interest on invested capital also form part of the economics of running an agricultural enterprise.
Farmer's own labour and supervision, he argued, should also be given an economic value. A longer-term calculation — rather than looking at a single year's expenses - would therefore provide a more realistic picture of farm profitability, he suggested.
Why are young people moving away?
Participants also discussed the social changes behind the declining involvement of youth in agriculture.
Shrikrishna Prasad pointed to the shortage of workers and the difficulty faced by small and medium farmers in managing plantations. The earlier practice of people working in towns while continuing to look after family agricultural land has become increasingly difficult, he said.
Shivarama Sampathila linked the change partly to the growth of IT and other urban employment opportunities. As families moved to cities and children grew up there, returning to agriculture became less common. He also raised the possibility that the labour shortage could become more serious in the coming years.
Shrihari Bhat highlighted another factor: the workload and responsibilities associated with farming can discourage families from encouraging their children to choose agriculture.
Ramesh Delampady brought the discussion towards lifestyle and family responsibilities, particularly for women, arguing that the traditional demands associated with farming households can also influence young people's career choices.
Bigger concern behind the ₹500 price
Discussion therefore presents a more complicated picture than simply asking whether ₹500 per kg is a good price for arecanut. A farmer's return depends on the relationship between the selling price and the cost of producing the crop - while the farmer must also manage fluctuations in yield, disease, weather and labour availability.
Poll conducted in the group reinforces that point. Only seven votes identified market price as a major problem, compared with 53 for labour cost.
For Arecanut economy, that may be the more important warning. Future of the crop may depend not only on what arecanut sells for, but also on whether farmers can find the people, money and younger generation needed to keep the plantations productive.