Betel leaf farming declines in Uttar Pradesh

Gorakhpur, July 10 (ANI): Farming of betel leaves has declined in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur region as demand for packed crushed betel nuts is on the rise.

"Earlier all the farmers used to grow betel leaves as the cultivation was also high and the demand was also good enough. But now the demand of packed crushed betel nuts has increased. Even the buyers prefer packed crushed betel nuts," said Prahalad Chaurasiya, a farmer.

"We prefer eating packed crushed betel nuts than betel leaf because there is shortage of time. For eating a betel leaf we have to wait at the shop till the shopkeeper makes the betel leaf. But in case of packed crushed betel nuts we just have to buy and eat," said Vimlesh Shukla, a customer.

According to the doctors, eating a betel leaf on occasional basis is antiseptic for human body but this new trend of eating packed crushed betel nuts on a regular is very harmful for the oral health of a human being.

"Betel leaves have an antiseptic effect on the human body when we eat it occasionally without adding any tobacco products. It kills the germs in our mouth. But if we add tobacco products with the betel leaf and eat them on a regular basis, then it affects our oral health," said B K Suman, a doctor.

Earlier the betel leaves grown in Gorakhpur were sent to Lucknow, Delhi, Kolkata and Varanasi. (ANI)