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Friday, March 29 2024
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Madikeri

CNC proposes higher import duty on pepper to save growers

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Madikeri: The Codava National Council (CNC) has proposed higher import duty on pepper to save the growers affected by the tumbling prices.

After a huge consignment of imported pepper was found in Regulated Market Courtyard (RMC) depot in Gonikoppal, the pepper growers are up in arms against the administration. The prices of pepper ruling round Rs 600-700 per Kilogram for the last 3-4 years have dropped by almost 50 percent and are varying between Rs 300-375 following uncontrolled imports from Vietnam.

Battered by the fall in prices, growers are finding it extremely difficult to sustain in the present scenario. Growers in Kodagu grow pepper as an alternative support crop along with Coffee. The present rainfall pattern is not favouring coffee yield and this labour intensive crop gives nothing in return complain growers. Most of them who survived on pepper fetching better prices are now in dire straits.

To tide over this crisis, CNC has proposed to increase the import duty on pepper. GATT agreement does not prevent India from curbing imports and hence increasing the import duty is the only option left to save growers, stated a release from CNC.

It has drawn parallel to a situation in the year 2003 when the rubber growers in Kerala suffered losses after the then union government opted for rubber from the island nation Sri Lanka. The rubber growers opposed the move and protested against imports on the streets of Delhi near parliament for few days demanding import duty hike on imported rubber. The protestors covered their bodies with rubber products demanding the government to save them from crisis. Bowing to public pressure, the then union government increased the duty on rubber imports to give a huge relief to the growers.

CNC release suggests that the present government should resort to the same method to save pepper growers in the district.

Political parties, mainly Congress has been vehemently opposing import of pepper from Vietnam and held few protests against the government pointing fingers at the local elected representatives for the crisis. They along with grower community accused them of profiting huge sums of money by permitting low quality pepper imports from Vietnam. CNC is the latest entrant opposing imports and supporting growers.

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