How do I process arecanut (supari) into chali and grade it for the best price?

The common processing for ripe arecanut is chali, the dried whole nut. Harvest fully ripe nuts, dehusk them, and sun dry the kernels over several days, often a few weeks, turning them until they are hard and well dried with low moisture so they store without mould. Boiled or red supari processing, kalipu, is a separate method used for tender nuts in some areas. After drying, grade the nuts by size and quality, since well dried, uniform, mould free chali fetches the best rate, while under dried or fungus affected lots get cut. Store the dried supari in a dry place. Confirm the processing method and grading your local market prefers, since different markets and the cooperative may want chali or red supari, and check current rates before selling.