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Betel nut production ‘dormant’
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Posted on Aug 07 2011
The Commonwealth’s production of betel nut is currently “dormant,” resulting in the importation of a significant amount of the product from neighboring islands, according to agriculture specialist Isidoro Cabrera yesterday.
At present, Saipan markets are importing betel nuts from Yap and Phonpei, at a much higher price.
He said the low or inactive production is mainly due to the traditional off-season for the produce, which started in March up to this month. This off-season may be extended depending on the weather condition of the island.
Another factor is the bud-rot disease, a fungi infection that is still prevalent in many of the islands’ betel nut trees, he said. Cabrera said the rainy season and the windy conditions are contributing to the spread of the disease to healthy betel nut trees.
The Northern Marianas College- Cooperative Research Extension and Education Services program was allocated $10,000 in 2005 for a program that will help eradicate the fungi in betel nut trees. The amount served as the program’s revolving fund that Cabrera said is still active to date.
Farmers pay 15 cents for every betel nut tree treated. The money goes directly to the revolving fund. Since 2004, Cabrera said that thousands of betel nut trees with bud-rot disease have already been treated on Saipan.
Despite the low production, the demand for betel nuts continues to increase. A major reason for the increase is the growing number of persons chewing betel nut, particularly students in public schools, he said.
“We’ve seen a lot of young students in the elementary starting to chew betel nut,” he said.
Cabrera earlier said that betel nut production and export could be a promising new industry for the CNMI if production is properly developed. He believes it could bring in an estimated $9 million annually if properly produced and marketed.
