Federation to meet Maharashtra CM over detained Karnataka arecanut trucks

The Karnataka State Areca Cooperative Societies Federation Limited, during a meeting held in Shivamogga on Wednesday, decided to send a high-level delegation to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi. The move aims to resolve a growing trade dispute following the detention of 55 arecanut-laden lorries from Karnataka by food safety authorities in the neighbouring state.

The meeting in Shivamogga was chaired by Thirthahalli MLA Araga Jnanendra, who also serves as the president of the federation. While the decision to send the delegation has been finalized, the federation indicated that the exact dates of the upcoming visits to meet the Union Minister and the Maharashtra Chief Minister will be announced in the near future.

Speaking at a press conference, MLA Araga Jnanendra expressed serious concern over the ongoing disruption to the arecanut trade. Food safety and drug administration officials in Maharashtra recently stopped the 55 Karnataka-registered lorries, raising objections over the quality of the agricultural produce.

According to the federation, Maharashtra officials detained shipments of arecanut laced with "chogar," alleging that the produce was chemically mixed. Furthermore, the authorities classified mechanically peeled arecanut as substandard, second-grade produce. The detained consignments have since been sent to laboratory facilities for quality testing.

The cooperative federation has strongly criticized the detentions, calling the actions of the Maharashtra officials completely unreasonable. The federation has formally appealed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to instruct state officials not to unnecessarily halt vehicles that are legally transporting arecanut on national highways. They have demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the blocked lorries.

In a bid to address quality standards and prevent future disputes, the federation also took a major organizational decision during Wednesday's meeting. The cooperative body resolved to launch a campaign to create awareness among both growers and traders against the practice of adding artificial colours to arecanut.