COMPANY PROFILE

Areca nut is an important commercial crop in India. Cultivation of areca nut is mostly confined to states Karnataka, Kerala and Assam, but consumption is spread all over the country. India is considered as the largest areca nut producing country in the world. A sudden marketing crisis in the year 1970-71 , when prices registered a marked fall which caused considerable concern to the growers, was the genesis for the setting up of this Co-operative Venture popularly called THE CAMPCO Ltd. Growers had been thrown into panic with prices coming down by half of what was prevailing till 1970-71 season.

CAMPCO Ltd known as The Central Areca nut and Cocoa Marketing and processing Co-operative Ltd is a joint venture of the state Karnataka and Kerala. The early 1970s showed a glut in the market of areca nut and thereby the price of areca nut came down sharply and consequently the growers were put into major economical problems. As a solution for the crisis, State Government of Karnataka, on the advice of an expert committee, recommended organizing a central agency in public or co-operative sector. With the active support extended by the State Government of Karnataka and Kerala, the CAMPCO ltd was registered on 11 th July 1973 under sec.7 of Karnataka Co-operative Societies Act read with sec.4 (2) of the Multi State Co-Operative Societies Act 1984.

The area of operation of CAMPCO Ltd is procurement and processing of areca nut and cocoa form the states of Karnataka and Kerala, but the marketing activity, the

area has been extended to the whole country. Areca nut purchase operations were extended to Assam, Andaman to Goa. Karnataka and Kerala governments enthused at this stage the CAMPCO Ltd to enter on the scene to rescue the farmers from distress. CAMPCO Ltd willingly took up the responsibility to enter the cocoa market and performed a saviors role. It procured cocoa pods from growers and adopting scientific processing methods to market standards, released dry cocoa beans matching in quality in the world market to that of Ghana, Brazil, and other leading cocoa cultivating nations. With a view to create a permanent demand and a steady market for beans, CAMPCO Ltd established a chocolate manufacturing factory at Kemminje village in Puttur Taluk in Dakshina Kannada district, adopting foreign technical collaboration in chocolate marketing. The factory was set up in 1986 at an initial investment of Rs.116.7million and a licensing capacity to produce 8800 metric tons. The factory also entered into technical cooperation venture with NESTLE(India) Ltd, for diversifying product brands. It has been producing a variety of products-semi finished items like Cocoa Mass, Cocoa Butter and Cocoa Powder and finished products in molded line, count line, chocolate drink etc. CAMPCO chocolates have gained extensive market popularity in India. The CAMPCO Ltd has functioning effectively with the main objectives. Procuring areca nut and cocoa gown by member cultivators and if necessary, from other growers on an agency basis or on outright purchase basis. Sale of areca nut and cocoa and their products to the best advantage of members and also to advance loans to members on the pledge of goals and to do all other things necessary to carry out the objective. To promote and develop areca and cocoa cultivation, marketing and processing.

ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT The management of CAMPCO Ltd vests in the Board of Directors consisting of 17 Directors. These Directors are elected or nominated as per of By Laws. The Managing Director is appointed by Government of Karnataka and Secretary nominated by the government of Kerala. The day to day activities are conducted by the Managing Director. The Executive Committee and the Business Committee devote more time to scrutinize and decide about the financial and business transactions of the Institution. There are four major activities of CAMPCO Ltd which are shown in the bellow: