Mangaluru: A delegation comprising MPs and representatives of Campco met Union Home minister Amit Shah at his office in New Delhi on Friday. The delegation apprised the minister of the serious challenges faced by arecanut growers and cooperative institutions involved in procurement and marketing of arecanut.It drew his attention to the alleged illegal and undervalued import of arecanut under various HS classifications, including imports of roasted arecanut under a new classification introduced in Oct last year. The delegation said such imports, particularly those entering the domestic market at low prices, were adversely affecting arecanut prices and causing hardships to growers.The delegation comprising MPs Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, BY Raghavendra, Kota Srinivas Poojary, former minister Araga Jnanendra, president of Adike Mahamandala, Campco president SR Sathishchandra and managing director Dr BV Sathyanarayana also raised concerns over duty-free imports and consignments that allegedly do not comply with the minimum import price norms entering the domestic market. It said this undermined the purpose of measures introduced to protect domestic arecanut growers.Sathishchandra stressed the need for a ‘One Nation, One Tax’ approach in the true spirit of the GST regime. He said cooperatives were subject to additional local taxes and levies in certain states, while private traders were often able to structure their operations to avoid such burdens. This, he said, placed cooperative institutions at a competitive disadvantage.He urged the Centre to ensure a uniform taxation framework and provide a level playing field for cooperatives working in the interests of farmers.GST on copper sulphateThe delegation also met Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and sought a reduction in the GST rate on copper sulphate used as a fungicide in Bordeaux mixture, which is widely used by arecanut and other plant growers.The delegation pointed out that copper sulphate attracts 18% GST when used as a fungicide, whereas the same product attracts 5% GST when used as a micronutrient. It sought rationalisation of the GST rate applicable on copper sulphate used for agricultural purposes, citing its importance in crop protection and financial burden on farmers.The minister informed the delegation about the govt’s efforts to prevent the misuse of illegal import routes, and strengthen vigilance at ports to curb the entry of illegally imported goods.
