U.S. company to procure one billion arecanut palm leaf plates from Agrileaf factory at Nidle in Dakshina Kannada Karnataka
The Hindu
Consumers in the U.S. prefer biodegradable plates made from arecanut palm trees because ‘it feels solid and feels like real plate’.
Michael Dwork, founder of VerTerra Dinnerware, a biodegradable dinnerware company in New York, said that consumers in the U.S. prefer to purchase bio leaf plate made from fallen leaves of arecanut palm trees because ‘it feels solid and feels like real plate’.
Interacting with mediapersons in Mangaluru on August 30, he said that his company intends to procure one billion arecanut palm leaf plates manufactured at Agrileaf Factory of Agrileaf Exports Private Limited at Barangaya, in Nidle village near Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, in the next three years. VerTerra Dinnerware is the business partner of Agrileaf.
VerTerra Dinnerware procured 70 million plates from Agrileaf in 2022.
“The cost of arecanut palm leaf plate is not cheap in the U.S. Cheaper bio plates are available. But consumers prefer arecanut plam leaf plate because of its quality and durability. It looks beautiful and is environment friendly. It is a good value proposition,” he said.
Mr. Dwork said that his company has been procuring plates from Agrileaf for four years. In this period, VerTerra Dinnerware would have procured about 3.5 crore plates (or about 100 containers) from Agrileaf.
Avinash Rao, co-founder and chief executive officer of Agrileaf Exports Private Limited, said, “Production capacity will go up from 50,000 plates to one lakh plates a day as Agrileaf is going for automation and upgradation of equipment. Normally, three plates of different sizes can be made from one leaf.”
Athishaya M. Jain, co founder of Agrileaf Exports Private Limited, said, “We pay ₹3 per leaf to farmers.”
Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten stated that “not so great decision making” contributed to his side’s defeat to India in the Group-A T20 World Cup clash here on Sunday. The batting unit came apart in the chase, after being well placed at 72 for two. With 48 runs needed from eight overs, Pakistan found a way to panic and lose. “Maybe not so great decision making,” Kirsten said at the post-match press conference, when asked to explain the loss.
“We are judges and therefore, cannot act like Mughals of a bygone era ... the writ courts in the guise of doing justice cannot transcend the barriers of law,” the High Court of Karnataka observed while setting aside an order of a single judge, who in 2016 had extended the lease of a public premises allotted to a physically challenged person to 20 years contrary to 12-year period stipulated in the law.