Areca nut production in India

Did you know that Areca nut production in India is the largest in the world, accounting for 54.07 % of total output, of which Karnataka state produces 45.8%?

Areca nut production in India is dominant in the coastal region within 400 kilometres (250 mi) from the coast line, and also in some other non-coastal states of India. Areca nut (Areca catechu), a tropical crop, is popularly known as betel nut, as its common usage in the country is for mastication with betel leaves. It is a palm tree species under the family of Arecaceae. It is a graceful, slender, stemmed, perennial evergreen palm, trunk reaching a height of about 25 m cultivated in the coastal regions of Southern India, Bengal and Assam upto an altitude of 1000 m. It has commercial and economic importance not only in India but also in China and Southeast Asia.

Areca nut production in India is the largest in the world, as per the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) statistics for 2017, accounting for 54.07% of its world output, and is exported to many countries. Within India, as of 2019-20, Karnataka produces 45.8% of the crop followed by Kerala and Assam; all three states together account for about 64.7% of its production. In the other states of Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, where it is also consumed, the crop is grown in a very small area. In Karnataka, in the Uttara Kannada District the crop is grown extensively.

Areca catechu Linn with its dry ripe seeds also called Pooga has many vernacualr names such as: Adike in Kannada; Supari, Chr alia in Hindi, Gujarati; Adakku, Pakku in Malayalam; Paka chekka, Vakka in Tamil and Telugu; Supari, Pophal in Marathi; and Kramuka, Ghonaa in Sanskrit 

Though Areca nut is not a native crop of India, it has a special ethno-religious importance. Its use in India is also noted from the pre-vedic period and was described by the word taamboola in ancient Indian civilization. It is extensively used in Hindu religious rites of birth, marriage, nuptial and is also offered to guests as a mark of hospitality. It is offered to gods in veneration in the form of taamboola, which consists of one areca nut placed over two betel leaves.

The practice of chewing the areca nuts is attributed to Vietnam and Malaysia. It was from Southeast Asia that the crop spread to Asia and India where it is cultivated as a cash crop. It is conjectured that ancient Indian literature provide information on betel nut and its mastication; it is chewed with the betel leaf as it has a stimulating effect. The Indian Ayurveda texts also refer to the areca nuts as a traditional medicine.

In India, there are two varieties of areca nut, also called supari in Hindi language. One is the white variety and the other is the red variety. The white areca nut is produced by harvesting the fully ripe nuts and then subjecting it to sun drying for about 2 months. In the red variety the green areca nut is harvested, boiled and then its exterior husk is removed. Sometimes Arecanut is even grounded in the soil for fermentation purpose to enhance the taste preferably called as "Mojha Tamul" in Assam. 

The areca nut tree grows as a single stem, and has generally a height of about 30 metres (98 ft). The fruit, which bears the nut, is orange coloured and is in the shape of an egg or oval shape; it holds a hard single seed. Its flowering and fruiting season is December to April. It grows in moist tropical climates where temperatures never fall below 10°c.

Irrigation is an essential requirement (once a week) along with the land drainage throughout the year. Irrigation water is drawn from rivers or wells using pump sets.

The chemical composition of areca nut comprises 14 to 15% of fat, polyphenols, tannins, alkaloids, polysaccharides, a small amount of protein, and vitamin B6 and vitamin C.

Areca nut husk is used to make many industrial products such as hardboard, insulation wool, cushions, paper, paper board and activated carbon