A day after Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has announced relief for the farmers affected by hail storm, the pan growers demand a compensation from the government claiming that the on-going cold wave has hit the paan growers the worst.
The Rashtriya Paan Kisan Union claims the loss to be around Rs 500 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 rpoduce has been damaged due to
rains and cold wave.
Demanding a compensation of Rs 50,000 each to the farmers producing betel leafs in the states where the crop has been damaged Chaurasia urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look over on the problems of this industry.
He claimed that around 4 million families all across the country spread over in UP, Bihar, MP, Orissa and Bengal are based on the business of betel leafs. Unless government extends relief the farmers
might face financial problems, he said.
He said in last fiscal the betel leaf producers had exported their produce to 29 countries amounting to Rs 39.50 crore. The maximum export was made to Bangladesh followed by Pakistan. “Pan is also in demand in Canada, Kenya, Nepal, Spain and UK.