Betel cultivators make hay while sun shines

S. M. Wijayaratne Kurunegala ‘Daily News’ corr.

Betel growers in the Kurunegala district are earning big profits as betel leaves fetch high prices in the open market.

One thousand betel leaves are sold at Rs. 3,000 and a betel grower earns Rs. 50,000 monthly.

Betel Growers’ Welfare Association President K. Sumanapala said there are 14,900 small-scale betel growers in the Kurunegala district and all are benefitted due to high prices offered to them by local and foreign betel leaf buyers.

Meanwhile, the Export Development Ministry in collaboration with the Rural Industries Development Ministry has made arrangements to cultivate 17,500 acres of land with betel during the next two months. About 2,500 unemployed youth would get direct and indirect employment opportunities as a result, he added.