A day after Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announced relief for the farmers affected by hail storm, the betel leaf farmers demanded a compensation from the Government claiming that the on-going cold wave has hit the betel leaf growers.
The Rashtriya Paan Kisan Union claims the loss to be around Rs1500 crore. The leaders claim that on an average 50 per cent of the betel leaf cultivation has been damaged in cold wave and rains.
Union’s general secretary Chotelal Chaurasia told reporters here on Thursday that betel leaf production is being done in 30,000 hectare of land and almost 80 per cent of the produce has been damaged due to rains and cold wave.
Demanding a compensation of Rs50,000 each to the betel leafs farmers in the States where the crop has been damaged, Chaurasia urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look over the problems of this industry.
He claimed that around 4 million families, across the country spread over in UP, Bihar, MP, Orissa and Bengal, depend on the business of betel leafs. Unless Government extends relief the farmers might face financial problems, he added.
He said in last fiscal the betel leaf producers had exported their produce to
29 countries amounting to Rs39.50 crore.
The maximum export was made to Bangladesh followed by Pakistan. “Betel leaf is also in demand in Canada, Kenya, Nepal, Spain and UK.