CNMI, Guam eye lifting betel nut export, import ban

The CNMI and Guam may soon be lifting the ban that prevents them from importing and exporting betel nuts after officials have initiated talks regarding this initiative.

Arctic Circle Air vice president on agriculture and community relations Herman R. Guerrero made the announcement during the farmers meeting held at the Northern Marianas Trades Institute last week.

Guerrero disclosed that Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota) has met with Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo and discussed how to open up the betel nut market between the two jurisdictions.

At present, Guerrero said that the CNMI cannot ship its betel nut produce to Guam and vice versa.

“As long as it is not a federal regulation that’s preventing us from selling our betel nut in Guam, I think the Guam governor will open it for us. We are working on that and we’ll be meeting with Guam officials regarding this,” he told some 60 farmers who attended the meeting.

A former senator, Guerrero said in an interview that betel nut used to be a big business among farmers since they were allowed to market their produce to Guam.

Agricultural consultant Isidoro Cabrera said in a separate interview that there are close to 120,000 betel nut trees in production on Saipan.

Cabrera disclosed that the bud rot disease, a fungi infection that affected betel nut trees on Saipan, caused the implementation of the betel nut ban.

“But the disease started in Guam and then it moved to the CNMI,” Cabrera told Saipan Tribune.

Because of the ban, Guerrero said Guam restricted betel nut coming from the CNMI and has since imported only Yap betel nut.

“The senate president says that based on his discussion with the governor of Guam, if it is not a federal issue, if it is not a federal regulation, then they can work things out together,” said Guerrero.

Should the ban be lifted, Guerrero emphasized that it will lead to a lot of opportunities for betel nut growers in the Commonwealth as they can make income by taking a portion of the betel nut import in Guam.

The onset of Arctic Circle Air, Guerrero added, will enable the shipment of CNMI betel nut to Guam and “begin to stimulate the economy, maybe even begin to grow the economy back gradually.”

“The good thing is we found the market,” said Guerrero. “The other good thing is that we found an airplane and we can challenge the high cost of freight.”

According to Guerrero, the current freight cost is “very prohibitive.” He noted that Arctic Circle Air is not competing with local airlines since they are in the cargo service, not passenger.

Guerrero said they heard that freight cost recently dropped to around $0.50 to $0.60 per lb, from its previous rate of over $1, “thanks to us.”

“We haven’t started but we’re making an impact already,” said Guerrero.