Betel nut: A $9M industry for NMI

The CNMI already has a promising industry that could help revive its ailing economy—the betel nut.

The Northern Marianas College’s Cooperative Research Extension and Education Services disclosed that in the CNMI alone, this product generates over $9 million revenue every year.

However, more than half of that amount goes to neighboring places like Yap and Pohnpei—two main markets that are importing the produce to the CNMI.

Isidoro T. Cabrera, CNMI-CREES agriculture specialist, said there is increasing demand for betel nut every year, resulting in bigger imports from the two markets.

“The betel nut is a $9-million industry in the CNMI. Each year, we’re seeing a growing demand for this produce…and we have no other means to sustain these demands but to get more from Yap and Pohnpei, especially in low season,” he told Saipan Tribune.

The months of August to January are the peak season for betel nut production on the islands.

In the first four months of 2009, Cabrera said “a significant” demand was noted by the NMC-CREES—the highest recorded in many years.

“This year, we’re seeing a much greater demand…the biggest we’ve seen in 15 years,” Cabrera said.

“What we would like to happen…is to see all these dollars stay in the CNMI. Unfortunately, we’re sharing the big pie with two other markets,” he said.

Cabrera admitted that one major reason for the increase in demand of betel nut is the growing number of persons consuming the product, particularly students in public schools.

“We’ve seen a lot of young students in the elementary starting to chew betel nut…and we believe that’s one major reason for the high demand nowadays,” he said.

Although he believes that betel nut is not recommended for young kids, NMC-CREES has no authority to make any move to bar them from consuming the product.

He is also convinced that a significant portion of betel nut users could be classified as “addicted” to the product.

“Like cigarettes, one can be addicted to betel nut chewing…” he said.

Although local farmers and ranchers also plant betel nut in their farms, Cabrera said their production remains focused on vegetables and fruit supplies.

Aiding farmers in the production of betel nut are the “gardeners” who just plant the produce in their backyards.

“Some of these gardeners are producing more betel nuts than what the farmers produce in their farms…so they’re helping address the demand,” he said.