A betel nut plantation in Baithalangso

Baithalangso, May 21: Assam?s stimulant for all seasons ? tamol-paan in Assamese and kobew in Karbi ? has gone from being just a mouthful of nut-and-leaf cud to a monetarily rewarding produce.

Not only are commercial betel nut plantations cropping up across the Karbi Anglong hinterland, these are actually turning hitherto poor farmers into successful horticultural entrepreneurs. Most of the betel nut plantations are in Baithalangso constituency, among the most backward in the hilly district.

What makes a tamol plantation commercially viable is its high yield and low cost of maintenance. Owners of over 1,000 small and large plantations in and around the picturesque Baithalangso town are already reaping the benefits. Although figures vary, a one-bigha plantation can fetch a farmer anything between Rs 1.5 to 2 lakh annually.

Leading the crop of tamol entrepreneurs is businessman-turned-politician Arun Terong. ?Betel nut has come to the rescue of the farmers in this part of the state. Once planted, betel-nut trees bear fruit for upto 75 years. The best part is the minimal capital requirement for maintenance,? he says.

Terong should know. His plantation is spread across 30 bigha and has been reaping a rich harvest year after year.

?Our area has been blessed with acres and acres of fertile land. But unfortunately, due to economic constraints, farmers have failed to make the best use of the land. This (a tamol plantation) is an option everyone must exercise,? says Terong.

Ignorance about the mechanics of the trade, however, makes even those farmers who have commercial plantations vulnerable to the machinations of middlemen. These traders ?buy? the gardens from the farmers by investing small amounts at the beginning of the season. When the trees bear fruit, the middlemen take away the produce at a much lower price than that prevailing in the market.

The bulk of the produce from Baithalangso is sold in Hojai town.

?I am trying to motivate the farmers to stay away from middlemen and take charge of the entire business ? from maintaining plantations with their own money to selling the produce at the main market,? said Terong.

Apart from the Karbis, Assamese settlers in the villages of Lengery and Longreh have betel nut plantations. Atul Bora of Lengery, whose father Nagen Bora had settled there almost 70 years ago, is one of the successful farmers with a 28-bigha plantation.