Campco ventures to start 'adike kaushalya pade' for DK, Kasaragod

MANGALURU: Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Co-operative (Campco) Ltd is on to a unique venture. Recognising the fact that skilled labour who harvest areca from tall and slender areca nut trees is scarce, the multi-state cooperative has decided to set up an ‘Adike Kaushalya Pade’ to address the issue. Training for aspirants of the ‘pade’ will start on December 5, S R Sathishchandra, president of The Campco Ltd, said.
The training to set up the Adike Kaushalya Pade or taskforce is essential in that there is acute scarcity of people who can climb areca nut trees, Sathishchandra said. Given that areca nut trees are taller than coconut trees, climbing it require special skills. Give-day training mooted will strive to impart those skills, he said adding this is for the first time that any organisation has arranged for this kind of training programme in this part of the state.
University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga recently had organised similar training at Arecanut Research Centre (ARC) at Thirthahalli, Keshava Bhat, executive officer, Arecanut Research Development Foundation (ARDF), a constituent of Campco, said. The ARC trained 35-youths who are now already on the job and earning around Rs 1500 per day and this is a remunerative earning for youths with low education, he said.
On the need for the training, Keshava Bhat said, “We see the problem especially during the monsoon when scarcity and non-availability of labour makes areca nut plantations prone to fruit rot disease if medicine is not sprayed on time.” With the prevalent unemployment, especially among less educated lot, skill of this kind will give them remunerative livelihood given that general labourers command daily wages of up to Rs 500, he added.
The training will be held at CPCRIs Vittal premises and youths from Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragod districts in the age-group of 18 to 35 years are eligible to take part in it, he said. Training will cover all aspects including spraying medicine, harvesting areca, pruning and shaping trees. Five expert areca nut climbers will be resource persons. Those interested may call: Shankarnarayana Khandige 9946406321, Keshava Bhat 8277085489