India’s arecanut imports from Bangladesh constituted 84 percent of the total imports during the first nine months of 2012-13.
India imported 52,263 tonnes of arecanut from Bangladesh valued Rs 278 crore during the period. However, the total import during that period was 62,056 tonnes valued Rs 333.82 crore.
These figures were furnished by the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry to Nalin Kumar Kateel, Member of Parliament of Mangalore, in the Lok Sabha, recently, according to Indian media.
In fact, the share of Bangladesh in the total import of arecanut has increased significantly over the years. The share was around 18 percent in 2009-10, and it increased to 43 percent in 2010-11. In 2011-12, it reached 74 percent. UNB
