CAMPCO Delegation Meets Union Ministers Amit Shah and Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi Over Arecanut Imports and GST Issues

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Mangaluru : A high-level delegation including Sri Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri, Sri B.Y. Raghavendra, Sri Kota Srinivasa Poojary, Sri Araga Jnanendra (President, Adike Mahamandala), Sri S.R. Sathishchandra (President, CAMPCO), and Dr. B.V. Sathyanarayana (Managing Director, CAMPCO) met with Union Minister for Home Affairs and Cooperation Sri Amit Shah at his office in New Delhi. The delegation briefed the Union Minister on the pressing challenges faced by arecanut farmers and cooperative institutions involved in the procurement and marketing of the crop. They drew special attention to the illegal and undervalued import of arecanut through various HS classifications, including roasted arecanut introduced under a new classification in October last year, which has significantly depressed domestic prices and caused severe hardship to local growers. Furthermore, they highlighted issues regarding duty-free and non-MIP-compliant imports entering domestic markets, undermining protective government measures. During the interaction, CAMPCO President S.R. Sathishchandra advocated for a “One Nation, One Tax” framework under GST, noting that local taxes imposed on cooperatives in certain states put them at a disadvantage against private traders. Union Minister Amit Shah assured the delegation that appropriate action would be taken to address these concerns and reaffirmed his support for the cooperative sector.

The delegation also held a crucial meeting with Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman to discuss the high GST rate on Copper Sulphate, which is extensively used as a fungicide in Bordeaux mixture by arecanut and plantation crop growers. They pointed out the disparity where Copper Sulphate attracts an 18% GST rate when used as a fungicide compared to a 5% GST rate when utilized as a micronutrient, urging a rationalization of the tax rate to alleviate the financial burden on farmers. In response, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed the delegation about the government’s ongoing measures to curb illegal import routes and enhance port vigilance to prevent improper goods from entering the domestic market. The CAMPCO leadership expressed gratitude to both Union Ministers for their patient hearing and firm assurances toward safeguarding the interests of arecanut growers and cooperatives.