icj january 2013

Convergence of schemesTHEME

I N S I D E

Need ‘Collective Convergent Action’ for thesuccess of projects in coconut sectorT.K. Jose .................................................... 2

Convergence and Collective ConvergentAction ........................................................ 4

Convergence of schemes and coconutsector ........................................................ 6Sugata Ghose

Convergence of programmes ofCoir Board and CDB through CoconutProducers’ Federation .............................. 9K.S. Sebastian

Unite, Think big and Win big ................... 12Deepthi Nair S.

Possibilities of convergence of coconutschemes in Tamil Nadu .......................... 14Hemachandra and Sugata Ghose

Convergence of schemes ofHorticulture Department, Government ofKarnataka ............................................... 18Vijayakumar Hallikery

Production and distribution of qualityplanting materials of coconut fromDSP farms ............................................... 21B Chinnaraj

‘Bongaigoan model’ of convergence incoconut based farming system ............ 24Sugata Ghose

Convergence of Coconut Schemesin Odisha ................................................. 26Khokan Debnath

A Schematic convergence of coconutschemes in Chhattisgarh ...................... 29R.S.Sengar

Coconut Neera production andprocessing in Karnataka ....................... 31G.M. Siddharameswara Swamy

Coconut in Parliament ............................ 34Mini Mathew

Kissan Credit Card, a boon to farmers ...................... 37K.S. Sebastian

A kick start in implementing Innovative MarketingStrategy ........................................................................ 40Deepthi Nair. S.

NEWS............................................................................ 412nd Investors’ meet in coconut sector

Delegation from Myanmar visited CoconutDevelopment Board

Global Konkan Mohostav

Training programmes in coconut convenience foods

State level workshop on coconut

Food & Hospitality World, Mumbai -2013

Monthly operations in coconut gardens .................... 45

Market Review - December 2012 ............................... 47

2 Indian Coconut JournalJanuary 2013

Dear Coconut Farmers,

An upward movement in the price of coconut isseen during the last four weeks. Though the price hasnot yet reached the level where it was an year ago,there is some enthusiasm in the market. Along withglobal factors, collective efforts by farmers, stategovernments and elected representatives also playeda significant role in this. In order to ensure a fair,reasonable and stable price, we need to think of variousstrategies which are appropriate and specific to coconutsector. Improving productivity, intercropping and mixedcropping in coconut gardens for supplementary incometo farmers, maximum possible harvesting of tendercoconut, processing mature coconut to various valueadded products outside the usual cliche of copra-coconut oil, marketing of coconut products on a PanIndian urban market and optimal use of by productswere discussed in the previous issues of IndianCoconut Journal. In this issue, we are focusing on adifferent topic, which we may call as ConvergentCollective Action. Convergence and Collective Actionare not new concepts; yet to be successfully tried inthe coconut sector. As majority of our 10 millioncoconut farmers fall into the category of small andmarginal farmers, individual farmers are unable toinfluence the market and prices. That is why we startedlooking forward to have farmer collectives in coconutsector. By experimenting the 3 tier farmer collectives(CPS-Federation-Producer Company) in Kerala, wehave gained necessary confidence to scale up sameto the other major coconut growing states. It isexpected to have at least 5500 CPS (3000 in Kerala,1000 in Tamil Nadu, 1,000 in Karnataka and 500 inAndhra Pradesh) by 31st March 2013. It is planned tofederate 5500 CPSs into 225 Federations (100 inKerala, 50 each in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and 25in Andhra Pradesh) and around 20 ProducerCompanies at national level. Through these collectiveswe are trying to address some of the hurdles whichcoconut farmers are facing due to small and marginalholdings. How to move forward from here to animproved performance is our objective, when wediscuss about convergence.

If we keep a small pile of cotton wool in open insunny days, it will not get fire. But if we focus theparallel rays of sun using a convex lens on this pile ofcotton wool the temperature will rise and it will start

burning. The sun rays which are parallely falling onthe cotton wool is not capable enough to ignite a fire.But by converging the very same rays using anappropriate glass lens, it will get ignited. Many schemesintended for farmers are parallely touching the farmingcommunity but often unable to create a fire; i.e.,sufficient economic prosperity. Millions of farmers inour country are suffering not because of lack ofprojects, programmes and schemes for them; but arenot converging enough on the appropriate stake holders.Scattered, small and marginal farmers, are individuallyunable to get the parallel ray like programmes focusedon their field. Many often, even educated people areunaware of all the programmes intended for them. Evenwhen they have information, individually they areunable to access these programmes.

Inform, inspire and motivate the farmers throughcreating capacity and confidence through theircollectives is the objective of ‘Convergent CollectiveAction’. Through well organised, trained, capacitatedand networked collectives, it would be much easier toaccess various programmes aimed at coconut farmers.The stepping stone for this is a well functioning CPS.In fact one of the focus themes suggested to the CPSsduring their first year of operation was convergenceof various programmes intended for farmers, at CPSlevel.

First step to create a convergence is to know aboutvarious schemes, projects and programmesimplemented by central and state Governments andvarious agencies under them, intended for agriculture,especially for coconut and other horticultural crops.Gathering the information and sharing such knowledgeat CPS level is to be initiated by unit offices of CDB.Who are the officers in charge of such schemes andinstitutions, where are they, their contact details etcneed to be gathered and shared with farmer collectives.CDB has to initiate this step at respective states,befriending with these offices and officers andconvincing them to use the launch vehicle of coconutfarmer collectives (CPS – Federations – PCs) forreaching out to farmers especially for implementingtheir schemes in coconut sector. Such an effort maytake some time to start yielding results. Empoweringthe farmer collectives by informing, inspiring andmotivating them to make use of the schemes of variousdepartments and agencies of both central and state

Need ‘Collective Convergent Action’ for the successof projects in coconut sector

Chairman’s page

3Indian Coconut JournalJanuary 2013

Governments is also a slow process. Coordinatedefforts at all the three levels viz., external departments/agencies, CDB and farmer collectives are necessaryto kick start such initiatives.

Thinking together, planning together and workingtogether on the platform of farmer collectives need aserious attempt. Day by day we are facing shortageof resources and unless we make effective use ofavailable scarce resources, it is difficult to createsuccessful impact in coconut sector. These types ofcollective convergence need to be given a try in theproduction and productivity front, pest and diseasemanagement front and aggregation of products andprocessing. How fast we can convince both farmercollectives and external departments to come togetherfor the betterment of coconut sector is the big questionwe need to address. It is our responsibility to facilitatesuch a programme and if you do not initiated theremay not be other institutions to do so.

Coconut farmers outside Kerala are raising a querythat they are having slightly bigger farms and canmanage some of the issues which coconut farmersare facing now. What is the need for forming CPSwhich is supposed to have 40 to 100 farmers and having4000-6000 yielding coconut palms. A rational answerto this query is that we do not want to form CPS tostop there. It is planned to have further integration ofCPSs to Federations and thereafter integrate intoProducer Companies. On an average it is expected tohave around one lakh yielding coconut palms withinthe jurisdiction of a Federation and around 10 lakhyielding palms under a Producer Company. Farmersin states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka having biggerholdings can think of straight away forming Federationsand thereafter to Producer Companies. ExistingCoconut Growers Association and Welfare Societiesalso can think of directly moving to the Federation level.When holding size is big enough to have the requirednumber of palms, we can form Federations withoutthe route of CPS to Federation. Whatever be the mode,strong collectives is the need of the hour.

Many of the problems faced by the sector can beaddressed more effectively and efficiently through thecollectives. Collectives are not for getting some grantsor subsidies to farmers; it is envisioned to play betterand bigger role, especially in the processing sector, tomove ahead in the value chain for ensuring better futureprice; to develop technical and managerial humanresource needed in the sector; to ensure availability ofcoconut products in all the major and minor marketson a pan India basis and to explore the markets whichare existing and emerging, are some of the objectives

with which we have designed farmer collectives. Iffarmer collectives wish so, they can directly enter intoprocessing for value addition. If not entering intoprocessing directly, they can ensure adequate suppliesto processors at predetermined price. Influencing themarkets and price realisation through collectiveplanning and action is possible. Individually farmerslook like and feel like helpless, but when well organisedthey can put across their points to appropriate levelsfor policy making, at state and national level. Gettingfarmers consulted on farm policy, export import policy,agri-food processing policy and taxation policy makingthrough the three tier collectives is achievable. In theabsence of such collectives it is unthinkable! Advocacyand lobbying for a fair and reasonable price isunthinkable without collectives for scattered andindividually operating farmers in the coconut sector.

Proper orientation and developing managerial andleadership skills through training and systematicfunctioning of the collectives is the need of the hour.Let us try to collaborate with good managementinstitutions for such training and handholding of coconutfarmers’ collectives. Research in the field on real,burning problems of coconut sector, can be addressedthrough collaboration with state agriculture universitiesand capable departments of universities and collegesin the states.

Let the collectives try to request the stateGovernments to consider ‘Coconut Parks’ in the statebudget in all the districts having the area of 25,000 haor more under coconut cultivation. Let us request foran extra 25% support from state side, over and abovethe subsidy from CDB under TMOC. Let us requestfor a five year VAT holiday for the new processingindustries coming up in coconut sector. Don’t you feelit is good to seek 25% equity contribution each fromstate and central Governments when farmers raise50% equity in their Producer Companies? Can we seeksupport and facilitation to coconut processing sectorlike what Governments used to extend for IT sector20 years back? Opportunities for collective actions areenormous. What we have to do is get awakened fromthe present scenario of feeling helpless. Only answerto the issues of raising the self esteem, developing theircapacities and instilling enough confidence in them isthrough a convergent collective action. Let uscollectively act together to achieve this goal.

With regards,

T K JoseChairman

Chairman’s page


CareKeralam

StateAgricultureUniversity

Banks/FIs

OtherAcademic

Institutions

LSGIs

NRLM

StateAgricultureDepartment

CentralResearch

Institutions

SHM

KSIDC/KINFRA

MGN EGSR

SHM

KSIDC/KINFRA

MGNREGS

CentralResearch

Institutions

NRLM

StateAgricultureDepartment

LSGIsOther

AcademicInstitutions

Banks/FIs

StateAgricultureUniversity

CareKeralam

CDB

NGOs

TeachingTrainingInstitutes

RKVYSFAC

Coconut Farmers’Collectives

(CPS, CPF, PCs)

Convergence and Collective Convergent ActionIn our country, various

departments and agencies areimplementing many developmentalprogrammes for farmers. But it isoften felt that they are not reachingto the intended beneficiary, as theend users are very often unawareof them. We must educate and equipthe farmers through their collectivesfor increasing their awarenessabout the programmes developingtheir capacities and for instillingconfidence in them and therebyensuring that they are really gettingbenefitted by these programmes inthe fullest manner. It is not becausethat we do not have schemes orprogrammes, our progress is slowbut the targeted stakeholders aremost often unable to access themin a time bound manner. It wouldbe wise to adopt a CollectiveConvergent Action (CCA) methodto implement the programmes forrealizing the optimal benefit to theintended stakeholder. Let us lookinto what is meant by convergencein coconut sector.

The small and fragmentedcoconut farmers are mostly spreadacross the country. Throughconvergence, Board is intending tobring the coconut farmers under thea three tier structure of CoconutProducers’ Societies at the primarylevel, Federations at next higherlevel and the Producer Companiesat its apex. Through this three tierset up, Board is trying to ‘inform,inspire and movitave’ the farmersand stakeholders on the various

programmes of the central and stategovernments, which can beconverged at farmer collectives forthe betterment of coconut farmers.

Let us look which are thedepartments and agencies that arehaving schemes and programmesintended for the coconut sector. Invarious states, alongwith CoconutDevelopment Board, Department ofAgriculture / Horticulture isimplementing many programmesfor coconut farmers. StateHorticulture Mission, SmallFarmers’ Agri Business Consortium(SFAC), State AgricultureUniversity, Central Plantation CropsResearch Institute (CPCRI), state

level research institutes and thethree tier Local Self GovernmentInstitutions are having variousschemes to help coconut sector.There are other central sectorschemes like RKVY, BRGF,NRLM and MGNREGS for thebetterment of small and marginalfarmers. Financial institutions andbanks are also extending assistancethrough Kissan Credit Card andvarious other schemes. Farmercollectives can also make use of thevarious schemes of agencies whichpromote and support industrialinvestments in the state for initiatingcoconut based processing and valueaddition.

Theme article


Educational and researchinstitutions can be encouraged totake up projects related to coconutsector. Recently many NonGovernmental Organisations(NGOs) have come forward to beassociated with the Board in theimplementation of variousprogrammes. The MoU executedbetween CDB and ‘Care Keralam’is a recent example for suchconvergence. Coconut sectorwould definitely be revived if moregovernment departments, financialinstitutions in public and privatesector and NGOs are comingforward to associate with CPSs,Federations and ProducerCompanies.

Farmers can seek support forintercropping of coconut gardenswith nutmeg and pepper with theassistance of Spices Board. Cocoacan be intercropped with coconutwith the support of Cocoa andCashew Directorate. StateHorticulture Mission is havingschemes for encouraging cultivationof vegetables and fruit crops. Forthe procurement and marketing ofthese products, the farmercollectives can work in associationwith agencies involved in vegetableand fruit promotion and StateHorticulture Product DevelopmentCorporations. Shortage of fruits andvegetables in various parts of ourcountry can be solved to a certainextent through the convergenceapproach of cultivating fruits andvegetables as intercrops in at least25% of the existing coconutgardens.

Thus through convergence,Board is trying to create the

platform for a combined andconducive working atmospherewherein a collective action willbring in better results. This doesn’tmean that other departments andagencies shall directly transfer theirschemes or funds to CoconutDevelopment Board or to coconutfarmers. Coconut Producers’Societies and their Federations canbe designated as the implementingagencies of these programmes.Expect that this would createawareness among end users, wouldmake the implementation speedy,smooth and trouble free whichwould render better result enablingthe farmer to make maximumproductivity and income.

Coconut Development Boardthrough our Charge Officers andState Centres will provide maximuminformation to CPSs andFederations on the programmes andschemes mentioned above, such aswhich agency is implementing thescheme and how to prepare the

2% export incentive for coconutshell based activated carbon

Coconut-shell-based activatedcarbon has been notified underFocus Product Scheme and is noweligible for 2 per cent exportincentive. This notification of theDirector General of Foreign Tradeenables the activated carbonexporters to enjoy 2 per centincentive with effect from January1, 2013. Coconut-shell-basedactivated carbon has great demandin the global market and India holdsthe premier position in the globalexport of activated carbon. The

country exported 38,500 tonnes ofactivated carbon valued at Rs347.60 crore during 2011-12.

Milk, milk cream and variousmilk products including coconut milk,milk powder and cream which arein Chapter 4 of ITC (HS) codewhich were not allowed to exportdue to ban has now resumed exportsdue to the lifting of ban. CoconutDevelopment Board had maderelentless efforts with DGFT to issuethe notification which has greatlybenefited the coconut industry.

Theme article

project report, how to access themetc. This information shall reach thefarmers through the monthlymeetings of CPS and Federation.Farmer collectives can even thinkof inviting representatives of theseagencies to the Federation meetingsfor mutual understanding and betterfacilitation. Farmers shall ensurethat they are actively taking part inthe Gramasabhas and persuade theLocal Self Government Institutionsauthorities to initiate developmentprogrammes for coconut farmers.The three tier Panchayths and otheragencies will definitely comeforward to work in association withthe farmer collectives, if they areworking in a united and organizedway. Everybody would like to workwith efficient, performing andsuccessful organisation. So let usmake our farmer collectives,vibrant, dynamic, efficient andsuccessful in performance. Let ushope that the farmer collectives willtake the lead in creating a CollectiveConvergent Action (CCA).


Convergence of schemes and coconut sectorSugata Ghose

Chief Coconut Development Officer, Coconut Development Board

A scheme is a plan orarrangement made by agovernment (or other organisation)to benefit many people so as tobring in improvement in the society.Convergence is the act of bringingtwo or more things together.Convergence of schemes is acohesive strategy to achieve morethan the sum of its parts.

Government usually adoptsmulti-pronged developmentalstrategy to promote economicgrowth by addressing the needs ofthe marginalised groups in thecountry. There are severalgovernment schemes formulated atvarious times in differentdepartments to address the needsof the people. To maximiseoutcome of these schemes andeffectively address the issue, thereis need to optimize efforts throughinter-sectoral approaches.

Government schemes usuallyaddress specific issues, such aswater, agriculture or health. Butspecific issues are usually just onecomponent of rural development.This means that any one service orscheme can only address a part ofa problem. By combining the effortsand resources of differentdepartments and schemes, ruraldevelopment can be addressedmuch more effectively. Combiningefforts are always more efficient,saves time and make best use offunds available.

Combining resources alsomeans government can reach outfurther and extend services tolarger target groups that wouldotherwise have been neglected. Abetter understanding of what isavailable for development helpsfarmers to plan more effectively.Likewise, when governmentdepartments get a betterunderstanding of community needs,they can work together, resulting insynergies and more effective useof schemes and resources.

Better solutions bycombining resource

More efficientimplementation

Extendedoutreach

Better valuefor money

Achieving more thanthe sum of the parts

Power of Convergence

Power of converging various government schemes are many

Objectives of convergence

Avoid duplication of efforts andredundant actions, enabling sharingof resources for commonobjectives, enhancing effectivenessof programme delivery, improvingquality of service provided,developing effective linkage withvarious development initiatives,helping to identify new opportunitiesand options, ensuring transparencyand accountability in governanceand effective monitoring ofoutcomes are some of theobjectives of convergence.

Why Convergence

Many of the governmentprogrammes planned and executedby different ministries /departments / agencies often havenearly similar objectives and targetalmost the same group and area.This plethora of efforts results inwastage of resources and failure toachieve synergies.

When policy demands slightlyoff centre scheme formulation foran agency, often it was found that

in a hurry to follow the directives,the designated agency sometimesadopt less productive technologiesand ignores limited institutionalcapacities. Development planningprocess being sensitive to thesechallenges should try to bringtogether other agencies havingcapabilities and technicalcompetence. Convergenceparticularly assumes importance toaddress these areas of concern.

Attempts were made by somedepartments, officials andinstitutions to overcome some of

Theme article


the above mentioned constraints bytrying to bring together relatedactivities in one platform. But theseefforts were isolated and sporadicand did not last to deliver positiveimpact in a sustainable manner.Therefore it was felt that organisedattempts are needed toinstitutionalise the same. Suchinitiatives have paved way for theemergence of ‘convergenceplanning’ concept and this planningprocess aims at achievingmaximum and sustainable benefitsto the community and the poor fromvarious development programmes.This is possible by pooling human,capital and technical resources inan organised and participatorymanner for convergent action by allthe stakeholders.

How Convergence

1. Identify target beneficiary:

In bringing together of schemesfor convergence, the first step is toidentify in clear terms for whom weare planning to work, that is, toidentify the target beneficiary.Instead of individuals a communityshould preferably be aimed at.

2 Identify goals

Once the target is fixed the nextstep should be convergenceplanning to bring together multiplegoals to a single objective, keepingin view maximization of returnsfrom several available options,sustainable development, meetingthe unmet needs of the communityetc. Adopt a participatory planningprocess of targeted beneficiarycommunity to identify the localneeds, problems and other issues.Based on the feedbacks received acommon goal shall be set up.

3. Identify schemes forconvergence

Study and discuss the existingperspective/annual plans of variousschemes of all the related ministries/ departments / agencies/ in theselected area among the targetbeneficiaries and participatingorganisations. Identify usefulschemes after detail consultationsto meet the local needs andcommon goals.

4. Identify Technologies forconvergence

Introduction of appropriatetechnologies is an integral part ofthe convergence planning.Technology base of variousschemes available with differentinstitutions involved, need to bebrought together to a commonplatform and evolve to a singleprotocol. The protocol shouldaddress the concern of thefunctionaries as well as the need ofthe community. The characteristicsand consequences including risks ofthe technology evolved have to beshared with all the partners as wellas with the target community andneed to be further improved basedon the opinion and need of thestakeholders.

5. Fix time frame (Gantt chart)

A Gantt chart is a type of bardiagram that illustrates a projectschedule and the start and finishdates of the terminal elements andsummary elements of a project.Terminal elements and summaryelements comprise the workbreakdown structure of the project.Developing a time chart forconverging schemes, work breakdowns that will be taken up during

the project time-frame, under theschemes considered forconvergence is a pre-requisite forall partner agencies.

6. Design task schedule (PERTchart)

Project Evaluation and ReviewTechnique (PERT) is a flow chatdiagram designed to analyze theinvolved tasks in completing agiven project. It is a graphicrepresentation of a project’sschedule, showing the sequence oftasks, sub-tasks that can beperformed simultaneously and thecritical path of tasks that must becompleted in time. The chart allowsimplementing team to avoidunrealistic timetables and scheduleexpectations, to help identify andshorten tasks that are bottlenecksand to focus attention on mostcritical tasks.

The convergence plannerdecides which milestones should bethe major events and theirsequence. The events are presentedin a logical sequence and no activitycan commence until its immediatelypreceding event is completed. Twoconsecutive events are linked byactivity arrows. The planners shouldalso make provisions to allow thelater insertion of additional events

A well designed PERT chart ofa project brings greater role clarityamong the functionaries and alsocreates appreciation of therelevance of others’ role. Suchparticipatory process ensures bettercoordination among thedepartments. This also provides anopportunity to resolve the problems/irritants among the stakeholders.

Theme article


Forms of Convergence andCDB schemes

1. Co-convergence (Gap filling):

All the aspects of developmentsometimes are not covered underone specific scheme. Like thescheme implemented by theCoconut Development Board(CDB) named “Laying out ofdemonstration plot in coconutgardens for productivityimprovement (LoDP)” do notinclude irrigation component. To fillthe gap of irrigation component inLoDP, this scheme could be co-converged with the scheme“National mission on microirrigation (NMMI)”.

2.Additive convergence(Dovetailing)

“Integrated wastelanddevelopment programme”(IWDP)is implemented to improve varioustypes of wasteland by developingor improving quality of vegetationcover. The programme is run by theMinistry of Rural Development,Department of Land Resource. Itis implemented through DRDA onproject basis. Area ExpansionProgramme (AEP) is a CDBscheme. In the areas havingsufficient rainfall for improvementof pasture, scrub uplands, coconutcould be a suitable crop and AEPcould be dovetailed with IWDP asadditive convergence.

3.Convergence plus (ValueAddition)

The ‘Laying out ofdemonstration plot in coconutgardens for productivityimprovement (LoDP)’ scheme of

Coconut Development Board(CDB) is implemented in clustersof 25 ha or 4375 yielding palms. ACoconut Producer’s Society (CPS)is formed with the memberbeneficiaries of the LoDP cluster.CPSs are encouraged to set uporganic manure producing units byavailing subsidy under CDB schemeof ‘Establishment of organicmanure units by utilizing coconutfarm refuse biomass (OMU)’ andcoconut nurseries under thescheme ‘Aids to private coconutnurseries (PCN)’. Convergence ofOMU plus PCN in LoDP clustersadds both physical and financialvalue in the cluster area and helpsto improve productivity of coconutin the demonstration plots.

4. Multiple convergence (ScalingUp)

Kerala State IndustrialDevelopment Corporation (KSIDC)has undertaken a project to set up‘Coconut Parks’ in Kerala. Alongwith the basic infrastructurefacilities like road, electricity, wateretc KSIDC plans to provide

common facilities for quality testinglaboratory, packaging centre andwarehousing in the park. Investorswilling to setup coconut processingunits will be provided industrial plotsat a reasonable rate in the park.Coconut Development Board(CDB) is running a scheme called‘Technology Mission on Coconut(TMoC) wherein coconutprocessing units are provided with25 % subsidy. Subsidy is providedonly after assessing feasibility of theproject and sanction of loan from abank. It is a credit linked back endedsubsidy. An investor setting up acoconut processing unit in thecoconut park of KSIDC availingTMoC subsidy of CDB and loanfrom Bank is an example of multipleconvergences scaling up the projectfor the benefit of the entrepreneur.

Thus convergence woulddefinitely bring about salutaryimpact in coconut sector. We hopethat collective and convergentefforts definitely would lead Indiato become the world leader incoconut production, productivityand export.

Theme article


Convergence of programmes of Coir Board and CDBthrough Coconut Producers’ Federation

Coir industry in India assumes greater significance in view of its contribution to foreign exchange earning andemployement generation. Sustenance and success of coir industry strongly depend on the availability of coconut huskwhich in turn relates to coconut production in the country. In this way Coir Board and Coconut Development Board are

sister concerns and should work hand in hand for the benefit of coconut farmers. Prof. G Balachandran, Chairman,Coir Board in conversation with Shri. K S Sebastian, Assistant Marketing Officer, CDB

Coconut sector is passingthrough a crisis. What is youropinion on the present status ofcoconut farming?

Coconut enjoyed the primeposition in Kerala’s economy sincetime immemorial. Majority of peoplefrom Malabar, Kochi andTravancore depended on coconutfarming for their livelihood.Eventhough coconut farming couldnot make drastic changes in theeconomic upliftment of the farmers,it could ensure them a decent living.But now the price fall, lowproductivity and unscientificcultivation practices are issueswhich remain as stumbling blocksto the betterment of coconutfarmers.

Do you think that the spread ofother cash crops have adverselyaffected coconut farming?

Coconut farming is not done ona commercial scale as in the caseof rubber, tea and cardamom.Coconut farming was restricted tosmall holdings or as homestead.Farmers pay scant attention totimely farming practices, irrigation,fertilization etc which are increasingthe production. The introduction ofstable and better income generatingcrops like rubber have alsonegatively affected coconutfarming.

Is it worth following thecultivation practices adopted by

the neighboring states?

While this situation wascontinuing in Kerala, other stateslike Tamil nadu, Karnataka andAndhra Pradesh started cultivatingcoconut on a commercial scale.They started cultivating highyielding varieties by followingscientific cultivation practices. Thisin turn increased their productionand productivity. Later on theygradually ventured into processingand value addition. Many units werestarted in these states using coconutand husk as raw materials. Thusthese farmers started benefitingfrom the additional income theycould generate through valueaddition and byproduct utilization.

Don’t you think that the pest anddisease attack as well as the low

productivity is making coconutfarming unattractive in Kerala?

Eriophyid mite and root wiltdiseases have severely affected theproductivity of coconut in Kerala.Prevalence of large number of oldand senile palms also aggravatedthe situation. Non availability oflabourers for harvesting as well asthe unstable and non remunerativeprice for coconuts make coconutfarming unattractive.

How was the coir sector affectedby the problems of coconutsector?

Coir sector is very muchaffected by the crisis in coconutsector. Coir product manufacturersof Kerala are heavily depending onTamil nadu for raw materials now.The climatic conditions and

Prof. G. Balachandran, Chairman, Coir Board

Interview


industrial atmosphere in Tamil naduis deciding the future of Kerala’scoir industry. The recent priceincrease for coir fibre and theresultant changes observed in thesector are good examples for this.

Eriophyd mite and rootwiltdisease have affected the qualityof husk also. But in Kerala, huskis not being collected even fromareas which are not affected bythese diseases. Will Coir Boardcollect husk directly fromfarmers’ field?

Majority of Kerala’s coconutfarmers are small and marginalfarmers. So collecting husk fromthese small holdings is difficult andeconomically unviable. If thefarmers of an area can collect thehusk to a particular centre,procurement shall be easy andviable.

Has the Coir Board started anyinitiative for procuring husk froma common center?

Revolutionary changes can bemade in the sector if husk could becollected through the newly formedCoconut Producers’ Societies.Procurement will be a hassle freeaffair as the CPSs are active in allmajor coconut growing districts.

Does Coir Board have anyscheme to encourage the CPSswhich are into procurement ofhusk?

None of the coconut farmers inKerala are getting reasonable pricefor husk. Hence it is predominantlyused for burial in the basins or usedas fuel in households. If the husk isprocured as raw material for coir,farmers will get an additionalincome of around Rs. 1 per husk.

This itself is an attraction.

Will Coir Board or any otherorganisation buy husk directlyfrom CPSs?

Coir Board does not directly buythe husk. Coir Board will facilitateas an intermediary for linkingprocuring agencies with the CPSsand also for ensuring the best pricefor coir fibre.

Mechanization is required formaking coir from husk. Will itrequire hefty investment forestablishing mechanization?

The cost of a defibering machinewith the capacity to process 4000husk per day is only Rs. 1.5 lakhs.This can generate 320 kg coir fibreper day. The present market price

of its high moisture retentioncapacity.

Will the Coir Board extendsubsidy for establishing coirdefibering unit?

It is hoped that the defiberingmachines will be of great help toCoconut Producers’ Societiesventuring into processing activities.The husks of large volume ofcoconuts procured for processingcould be converted to coconut fibre,which could fetch better price andin turn enhance the profitability ofthe project. Coir Board is extending40% of the cost of the equipmentas back ended credit capitalsubsidy. Coir Board will also givethe model project and if neededshall recommend to bank for issuingloan.

for coir fibre is about Rs. 15 perkg. Coir pith is another byproductwhich fetches around Rs. 3-4 perkg. Coir pith could be easilyconverted in to manure by addingpith plus. If this manure is appliedin coconut basins, frequency ofirrigation could be reduced in view

The yearly average productivityof a Society is less than fourlakhs coconuts. Hence a Societywill have the raw material forrunning the defibering unit formaximum 100 days. So how canthey make this economicallyviable?

A modern defibering machine

Interview


The technology for mobiledefibering unit which costs aroundRs. 5 lakhs is available now. CoirBoard is extending 40 % subsidy forthis unit also. Three or fourSocieties together can own a mobileunit which could transport husk todifferent places within the Societiesfor producing coir fiber.

Coir Board is implementing thisscheme for individuals. Will therebe any technical difficulties forextending this programme toCPS?

Coir Board is implementing theprogramme on individual basis.However the office bearers or evenCPS members can individuallyapproach Coir Board for financialassistance. Banks are notdemanding collateral securities forthe loan amount extending to thisproject. The beneficiary only willhave to pledge the machineryprocured using the credit extendedby the Bank. They need not pledgeany other assets to the Bank in thisregard.

Can CPSs which doesn’t own anyland also start such ventures?

Coir Board is also extendingsubsidy to units which are set upon leased land. The lease shall notfor less than 10 years. The schemeis operating almost in the samepattern of Technology Mission onCoconut of Coconut DevelopmentBoard. While CDB is extending25% of the project cost as financialassistance, Coir Board is extending40% assistance under thisprogramme.

It is felt that these defiberingunits are not sufficient forprocessing the large quantity of

husks aggregated by the CoconutProducers’ Federation andProducer Companies in the eventof setting up of coconutprocessing units of highercapacity. What could be thealternate arrangement?

Federations having annualproduction of more than 50 lakhcoconuts and around one lakhcoconut palms under its operationalarea would have to install highercapacity defibering machines. CoirBoard is extending 25% subsidy forsuch units also.

More than 100 Federations willbe formed in Kerala alone duringthis year. Will Coir Board be ableto extend subsidy to all theFederations?

Coir Board doesn’t havefinancial constraints for this project.Identifying beneficiaries of thescheme from Kerala is the mainissue facing by the Coir Board.There would have been plenty ofemployment opportunities, if we hadatleast 100 defibering units havingcapacity to process 10,000 husk perday. This would add up to ourforeign exchange earning also.

The domestic usage of coir andcoir products is meager in India.Will the increase in productionwill lead to price fall?

It is true that the increase in thedomestic usage of coir and coirproducts is not very attractive. Butthere are immense possibilities forenhancing the demand for theseproducts. The demand will increasemanifold if markets are identified forthe environment friendly coirproducts in all Indian cities. CoirBoard is keenly observing the

innovative marketing strategiesbeing adopted by CoconutDevelopment Board. Coir Board iseager to associate with CoconutDevelopment Board in suchinitiatives. Coir Board would alsoparticipate in national andinternational exhibitions along withCoconut Development Board.

What are the possibilities of coirproducts in international market?

Indian coir and coconut productshave good demand in internationalmarket. The export of coir productsfrom India has crossed Rs.1050crores. In 2012-13 it is expected togrow further. We used to get plentyof enquires on Indian coconutproducts while we participate ininternational exhibitions. I personallyfeel that both the Boards shouldexplore the possibilities of jointlytaking part in internationalexhibitions.

Are you optimistic in themomentum going to gain for coirand coconut products?

Since natural fibers are havinghigh demand in international market,the export of coir and coir productswill definitely increase in the comingyears. Coir Board would like towork in association with CoconutDevelopment Board in itsinnovative strategies for marketingcoconut products in all Indian cities.The efforts to popularize all coconutproducts in the Indian cities willdefinitely work in favour of coir andcoir products as well. This effort isexpected to make spurt in thedomestic market share for coir andcoir products.

Interview


Unite, Think big and Win bigDeepthi Nair S.

Marketing Officer, CDB, Kochi

Coconut farmers were passingthrough a tragic period due tosevere price crash since the last oneyear. Concerted efforts from theCentral and State Governments arecrucial to revive the sector from theaftermath of the crash. Variousprogrammes of the state and centralschemes have to be dovetailed torecoup the coconut sector to thestatus it occupied as an importantrevenue generating crop. Thecoconut farmers are also nowaware of the need to break thecopra coconut oil nexus and moveon to other promising diversifiedproducts from coconut. The numberof CPSs and Federations takinginitiatives in coconut processing isincreasing day by day. Under thesecircumstances, it is essential toconceptualise and implementprojects for the sustainabledevelopment of the sector withpriority for the promotion of moreprocessing units in coconut.

Talking of diversification, themost important value added productfrom coconut that has sought theattention of all the stakeholders incoconut is Neera. There have beenmany arguments both in support ofand opposing the production ofNeera. The potential of valueaddition of Neera and the urgencyfor product diversification to savethe sector from the economic crisisit is facing has led to the weakeningof the voices that opposed Neera.The situation is ideal forconceptualizing programmes forpromotion of production of variousvalue added products from Neera.

Since independence, a multitudeof programmes have beenimplemented by the Central andState Governments for thedevelopment of the primary sector,agriculture. The programmes havebeen able to make the country

emerge the leader in various sectorsof agricultural development. But attimes, resources have been pumpedin from various sources forachieving the same objective, eachfunctioning in an independent way.This results in non optimal utilizationof the physical and financialresources of the country. Aconvergence of the various plansand schemes pertaining to thedevelopment of a sector will enableoptimal utilization of the financialoutlay of the country for thebetterment of the community. Alsothe results achieved will besustainable and long lasting since theactivities of various relatedinstitutions are converged for thepurpose. Concentrated efforts byvarious institutions towardsachieving a common objective willnot only provide more strength forthe activities, but also will make themonitoring and further progress

Neera


possible in a viable manner. Teamwork pools in ideas, financialresources and man power whichwill help in implementation in anideal manner.

The nutritious non alcoholicdrink, Neera has enormous marketpotential. The various value addedproducts from Neera like palmsyrup, jaggery and sugar haveprospects in both domestic andexport market. Neera production ispermitted in Maharashtra and partsof Karnataka. Neera is sold inMaharashtra as a health drink. TheKarnataka Department ofHorticulture has introduced in themarket poacked Neera in pouches.The State Governments in majorcoconut growing states have beenapproached by CDB for permittingCoconut Producers Societies/Federations to tap Neera andproduce various value addedproducts from Neera. Governmentof Kerala has constituted a highlevel committee for exploring thepossibilities for production of Neeraand its products. In this context, awell conceived action plan is vitalfor implementing Neera productionthrough Coconut ProducerSocieties/Federations/farmergroups etc.

Neera production is to beundertaken in a well disciplinedmanner. The whole productionprocess demands transparency,efficiency and accuracy. Entrustingwell functioning CPS/ Federations/farmer associations with productionof Neera will enable production inan efficient manner. Also, Neera

production can be done under theauspices of CPS and processing intovarious value added products canbe undertaken by the Federation.

The tapping of Neera and itsrecovery is a process whichrequires skill and care. Skilled workforce trained specifically for tappingNeera in a scientifically approvedmanner is required. This selectgroup of Neera technicians can betrained in coordination with thedevelopmental programmes of theState/Central sector. Trainingprogramme can be devised with apreconceived and finalizedschedule so that technicallyequipped skilled personnel aredeveloped for entrusting the workof Neera tapping.

CDB can work in convergencewith the National Rural LivelihoodsMission (NRLM), referred asAajeevika. The key objective ofNRLM is poverty eliminationthrough social mobilization,institution building, financialinclusion and a portfolio ofsustainable livelihoods. NRLMextends short-term placementlinked, market driven training for 6to 12 weeks to rural poor youthbetween the age of 18-35. Capacitybuilding of selected rural youththrough such trainings can developskilled Neera technicians.

Community managedsustainable agriculture (CMSA)under NRLM holds immensepromise in coconut cultivation. Withinitiation of Neera tapping, in orderto increase the production of bothNeera and coconut, moving on to a

sustainable way of farming isimportant. The rejuvenation ofsenile plantations can be undertakenwith inclusion of natural farming,multi layer cropping, high densityplanting, poly crop models etc forfood security and sustainablelivelihoods under this programme.Convergence with MG NREGS toimprove soil and moistureconservation and soil fertility can beundertaken.

The Rural Self EmploymentTraining Institutes (RSETI) underNRLM provide unique opportunityto train and nurture microenterprises. Production of valueadded products from Neera can bepromoted in association with thisprogramme. The support ofEntrepreneurship DevelopmentInstitutions and other organizationsworking on micro enterprises canbe converged to make the missionsuccessful. Since Neera is a healthdrink and palm sugar has manynutritive and medicinal attributes,convergence with the NutritionProgramme of Social WelfareDepartment also holds prospectsfor popularizing production of suchproducts.

Convergence of activities forcommunity development of NRLMfor promotion of Neera will enablerural employment generation,revenue generation anddevelopment of coconut sector. Aplanned systematic approach isneeded for the same which willpave the way for the developmentof a concrete industry based oncoconut.

Neera


Possibilities of convergence of coconut schemesin Tamil Nadu

Hemachandra* and Sugata Ghose***Deputy Director , **CCDO, CDB, Kochi

Coconut situation in TamilNadu:

Coconut occupies 4,10,149 ha.with a production of 5,89,421 nutsand productivity of 14371 nuts perhectare in Tamil Nadu. Among themajor crops grown in the State,coconut ranks second in positionnext to paddy. Coconut is grown inall 31 districts of Tamil Nadu. Majorcoconut growing districts havingmore than 20,000 ha are Coimbatore(19.7%), Tirupur(12.1%),Thanjavur(8.1%), Dindigul (6.9%),Kanyakumari (6.1%) andVellore(5.4%). There is an averageannual increase of 10,000 ha of areaunder coconut in the state. Thereare 22 state coconut nurseries at

Navlock Farm at Ranipet, Vellorefor producing coconut hybridseedlings. Tamil Nadu AgricultureUniversity has established twoCoconut Research stations atVeppankulam , Pattukkottai ,Thanjavur District and AliyarNagar, Pollachi, Coimbatore districtto look after the overall researchactivities in the State. TheseResearch stations have releasedVHC-1(1982), VHC-2(1988),VPM-3(1994), VHC-3(2000) andALR (CN) 1 (2002) varieties ofcoconut. TANFED is a state nodalagency for procurement of copraunder minimum support priceannounced by Government of India.There are three power generation

Coconut Schemes in Tamil Nadu:In Tamil Nadu, various State Government departments and Coconut Development Board is implementing

various schemes for the overall development of coconut industry. Department wise and scheme wise detailsare given below:

units using coconut biomass atPollachi (Coimbatore- leaf frond),Pattukkottai (Thanjavur- coconuthusk) and Sempatty( Dindigul-coconut Husk) .

Coconut Development Boardhas played a pivotal role in bringingmore area under coconut, improvingthe production and productivity inthe state by providing financialassistance to the state by theimplementation of schemes directlyand through AgricultureDepartment. Under the TechnologyMission on Coconut, Boardextended financial assistance to 57processing units in Tamil Nadubesides other components.

Sl. No Schemes

Fund Pattern (%) Implementation

By GOI State

Coconut Development Board a) Production and distribution of planting material i) Regional coconut nurseries 50 50 Agriculture Dept ii) production and distribution of hybrids/other released

varieties 50 50 Agriculture Dept

iii) Financial assistance to private & Seed garden 100 00

b) Expansion of Area under Coconut 100 00 Jointly by Agri Dept. & CDB c) Integrated farming in coconut holdings for productivity

improvement 100 00 Both Agri. Dept & CDB

d) Information Technology 100 00 CDB Participation in Exhibitions /Seminars / formation of CPS

/ Friends of Coconut Tree

e) Technology Mission on Coconut i) Management of insect pests and disease affected

gardens, 100 00 CDB on project basis

ii) Processing and product diversification 100 00 CDB on Project basis iii) Market Research and Promotion 100 00 CDB on Project basis

Theme article


Sl. No Schemes

Fund Pattern (%) Implementation

By GOI State

2) Department of Agriculture i) Integrated coconut Development Programme 00 100 Agriculture Dept ii) Thane cyclone Programme in Cuddalore and Villupuram

districts Agriculture Dept

a) Removal of fallen coconut trees 00 100 Agriculture Dept b) Replanting of coconut seedlings (NADP) 100 00 Agriculture Dept c) Rejuvenation of affected gardens (NADP) 100 00 Agriculture Dept iii) Distribution of Tall and Hybrid seedlings at subsidized

rate (NADP) 100 00 Agriculture Dept

iv) New initiative for promotion of DxT hybrid seedlings by out-sourcing under NADP

100 00 Agriculture Dept

v) Improvement of infrastructure facility to State coconut nurseries (NADP)


vi) New initiative for Erection of 50 nos of solar tunnel copra driers (NADP)


vi) Precision Farming in coconut holding during current year under NADP and MIS

100 00 Agriculture Dep

vii) Implementation of ATMA Programmes 90 10 Agriculture Dept 3) Department of Agriculture Marketing and Agri business

i) Scheme for Technology Upgradation / Setting up /Modernization /Expansion of coconut ( food ) processing Industries- under National Mission on Food Processing

75 25 Dept of Agri business

ii) Established coconut Complex (about 20 acre) at Pattukkottai, Thanjavur under Market Committee and State Government fund and drying yard at Pethappampatty in Tiruppur district


iii) Establishment of Copra drying facility in PPP mode at Pollachi with a farmers share capital contribution of 25% by the government

NA NA Dept of Agri business

iii) Setting up of Food Parks-Department/ MoFP/ SIDCO 30 70 Dept of Agri business

iv) Established Domestic and Export Market Intelligence Cell (DEMIC) in collaboration of TNAU for benefit of farmers. Coconut Prices at various markets are accessible


4) Department of co-operation i) Procurement of milling copra under Minimum Support

Price through TANFED 100 00 Dept. of Co-operation

ii) Established three Solar tunnel Copra driers in Coimbatore district on Pilot basis

00 100 Dept. of Co-operation

iii) Commercialized 22 Solar copra dries in 10 districts -NADP

100 00 Dept. of Co-operation

5) Agriculture Engineering Department i) Providing subsidy for coconut dehusker, coconut

shredder etc - NADP 100 00 Agriculture Engineering Dept

6) Department of Horticulture i) Financial assistance for intercrop/mixed crops in coconut

gardens under NHM 85 15 Hort. Dept

Apart from the above, otherdepartments viz., Department ofIndustries, TEDA, Department ofScience and Technology etc. arealso providing financial assistance for

establishment of coconut industries,power generation using coconutbiomass as non-conventional energy,innovation of technologies andcommercialization.

Need for convergence ofcoconut schemes:

A multi-pronged coconutdevelopmental strategy is adopted

Theme article


by the Coconut DevelopmentBoard through its various schemesby addressing the problems relatingto planting material, management ofpest and disease ,informationtechnology, collection of data,dissemination of technology throughdemonstration and mass media andparticipation in exhibitions andtrainings. The scheme “TechnologyMission of Coconut” convergesnumerous ongoing schemes indepartments and build up synergythrough vertical and horizontalintegration of existing programmesand bridge the gap throughappropriate new programmes in amission mode to ensure adequate,appropriate, timely and concurrentaction. This results in innovationtechnologies, products, marketingetc. Implementation of theseschemes by Coconut DevelopmentBoard resulted in the demand forquality hybrid/ dwarf seedlings,rejuvenation of existing gardensand establishment of coconutindustries. The financial assistanceearmarked for ongoing schemes ofthe Board is not state/ districtspecific to be converged with theschemes of the state governmentto attract more investors in

establishment of coconut industriesin the State. But there is possibilitiesfor convergence/ of resourcesavailable to Tamil Nadu undervarious schemes in the AgricultureSector Viz., National HorticultureMission, RKVY, National Missionon Micro Irrigation, NationalMission on Food Processing,MNEREGA, NRLM,etc, besidesState Plans. Establishingconvergence and synergy amongvarious development programmeswith CDB schemes through properlinkages in the process of planningand implementation couldmaximize investment ininfrastructure for processing andmarketing sector so that coconutfarmers can be protected fromsevere price fall in coconut andencourage the farmers for valueaddition rather than depending onthe coconut-copra-coconut oillinkage.

Reports of the work studygroups on RKVY, NREGA,ATMA, and Decentralized Planningin Agriculture for XII planemphasized the importance ofconvergence in all resources viz.,human, financial, and physical and

even ideas and concepts should tendto move towards one point which istechnically considered asconvergence. In planning,convergence of services can bepossible when integrated approachis applied. This convergence is veryimportant for achieving intendedoutcomes and impacts of theprojects proposed in the action plan.But unfortunately more divergencethan convergence is seen at thegrass root level due to reluctanceof sharing of powers, responsibilitiesand resources at the sectoral level.On the other hand, implementationof the programme in acompartmentalized manner ratherthan convergence runs the risks ofduplication of efforts and sub-optimal output leading to wastageof scarce resources.

Possibilities of convergence ofcoconut schemes:

A) National AgricultureDevelopment Programme: Inorder to achieve 4 percent annualgrowth in agriculture, a newadditional central assistancescheme (100%) introduced byGovernment of India in 2007 todraw up plans for agriculture sector

Theme article

Banana intercropped with coconut Farmers from Kerala visiting coconut farms in Theni


more comprehensively, taking agro-climatic conditions, natural resourceissues and technology into accountand to provide flexibility autonomyto states in the process of planningand executing agriculture and alliedsector. The NADP is a state planscheme. In the planning processeach district has to formulate aDistrict Agriculture Plan (DAP) andeach state has to prepare a StateAgricultural Plan (SAP) convergingwith other programmes indicatingthe resources. Main areas whichcan be focused on coconut areagriculture mechanization (Palmclimbing machines, dehuskingmachines , coconut shredder , copradriers, sprayers etc.), activitiesrelated to enhancement of soilhealth (micro nutrientdemonstration, training to farmersfor promotion of organic farming,amelioration of soils affected withconditions such as alkalinity andacidity etc), integrated pestmanagement schemes (training offarmers / awareness programme ofcoconut), encouraging non –farmactivities which include assistanceto agri entrepreneurs of coconut,strengthening of marketinfrastructure and marketdevelopment (construction ofcoconut complex, establishment oftender coconut market and tendercoconut parlors in the state) , studytours of farmers (LODP plot , CPSand coconut industries) andinnovative schemes which are notincluded in the above categories.Area of focus under NADP is anindicative list. The State maychoose other components /activities. Under the scheme 50%has been extended as subsidy tobeneficiary. Tamil Nadu WaterDevelopment Agency (TAW

Chairman of State level monitoringcommittee.

B) National Horticulture Mission:The National Horticulture Mission(NHM) was launched during theyear 2005-06 to provide thrust to thedevelopment of Horticulture in thestate in which the Government ofIndia contributes 85% and 15% ismet by the State Government. Inthe operational guideline it isindicated that, programmes fordevelopment of coconut will beimplemented by CoconutDevelopment Board. Chairman,Coconut Development Board is amember of the ExecutiveCommittee of National HorticultureMission. Coconut DevelopmentBoard will be involved inprogrammes related to coconutbased farming systems forintercropping of vegetables, flower,spices, aromatic plants, medicinalplants etc. Rejuvenation /replacement of senile coconutplantation can also be brought underNHM. Bee- keeping for pollinationcan also be included. State level /national level seminar, farmer’sexposure visit and HRD can alsobe taken up for coconut basedfarming system. Schemes in NHMcan be implemented in Coconut

Producers’ Societies with the helpof Horticulture Department,Government of Tamil Nadu. Thefinancial assistance under NHM tococonut growers is @ 50%. TamilNadu Horticulture DevelopmentAgency (TANHODA) is a nodalagency for NHM.

C) National Mission on FoodProcessing (NMFP): Ministry ofFood Processing Industries(MoFPI), Government of Indialaunched a centrally sponsoredscheme (CSS) with the stategovernment participation with thefinancial assistance in the ratio of75:25 during 12th Five Year Plan.NMFP is being implemented byTamil Nadu government with effectfrom 1st April 2012. The mainobjective of the scheme is toencourage Food ProcessingIndustries. This includes unitsprocessing coconut water andkernel based products viz., virgincoconut oil, packed tender coconutwater, desiccated coconut powder,coconut oil, copra, coconut chipsetc. The assistance will be @ 25%of the cost of plant and machineryand technical civil works subject tomaximum of Rs.50.00 lakhs. Inorder to attract more investors tococonut food processing sector, the

DEVA) is anodal agencyfor NADP ands c h e m e simplemented byv a r i o u sdepar tments .Chief Secretaryis the Chairmanand theA g r i c u l t u r eP r o d u c t i o nCommissioneris the Vice-

Orient Green Power Company Limited Pollachi, a powergenerating company using coconut leaf frond as Bio-mass

Theme article


schemes of NMFP and CDB maybe dovetailed as is done in PrecisionFarming in Tamil Nadu bydovetailing NADP and MSI. UnderNMFP, entrepreneurshipdevelopment programme andworkshops can be organized forsupport and these can also beconverged with CoconutDevelopment Board programmes.The Department of AgricultureMarketing and Agri business is thenodal agency for implementation ofthe scheme.

D) National Mission on MicroIrrigation: A centrally sponsoredscheme on the micro irrigation wasintroduced in January 2006 toincrease the area under improvedmethods of irrigation for betterwater use efficiency to providestimulus growth for increasingproductivity. Govt of India decidedto impart further thrust to thisscheme by implementing it on aMission mode as the “NationalMission on Micro irrigation(NMMI)”. The mission will help toconverge micro irrigation activitiesunder major governmentprogrammes such as NHM, RKVYetc to create integrated waterharvesting structure for increasingwater use efficiency. NMMI is acentrally sponsored scheme inwhich 40% of the cost of the MIsystem is borne by the centralgovernment and 10% by the stategovernment and additionalassistance of 10% in respect ofsmall/ medium farmers. In TamilNadu, considering acute shortageof water for agriculture purpose,Government of Tamil Naduincreased its share to 50% forsmall/medium farmers and 35% toother farmers. At present in TamilNadu small and marginal farmers

are getting 100% subsidy where asother farmers are getting 75%. Thisscheme is being implemented incoconut gardens. TANHODA(Tamil Nadu HorticultureDevelopment Agency) is the nodalagency for NMMI in Tamil Nadu.This scheme can also be convergedwith Laying out of Demonstrationplots in coconut gardens and forinter /mixed crops.

E) National Rural LivelihoodsMission (NRLM) was launchedby the Ministry of RuralDevelopment (MoRD),Government of India in June 2011.Aided in part through investmentsupport by the World Bank, theMission aims at creating efficientand effective institutional platformsof the rural poor enabling them toincrease household income throughsustainable livelihoodenhancements and improvedaccess to financial services. InTamil Nadu, NRLM is implementedas Tamil Nadu State RuralLivelihoods Mission through TamilNadu Corporation for Developmentof Women. TNCDW has beennominated as projectimplementation agency (PIA) andManaging Director is the ChiefExecutive Officer. 265 blocks willbe covered under TNSRLM inthree phases. The funding patternis 75% from Government of Indiaand 25% from Government of TamilNadu. Under TNSLRM, training/awareness programme on coconutchips, vinegar, coconut conveniencefood, etc can be given and units canalso be established in the existingclusters from the fund of TNSLRM.It is expected to extend financialassistance for Friends of coconuttree (women) who are belowpoverty line. Marketing of coconut

food products produced by theclusters can also be marketedthrough their Marketing Departmentthrough fairs at state and regionallevel.

F) ATMA (AgricultureTechnology ManagementAgency): Tamil Nadu state isimplementing the ATMA as asupport to the state extensionprogrammes. It is implemented inall the districts except in Nilgiris andChennai covering 381 blocks. Thefund is shared between theGovernment of India and the Stategovernment at the ratio of 90:10.Respective departments undertakevarious activities like training offarmers within the district/state/inter-state, demonstrations inagriculture and allied sector,exposure visit of farmers, groupformation, capacity building andproviding revolving funds forincome generation. Coconutfarmers of Tamil Nadu are alsobenefited from the scheme and alsocan be conversed with CDBschemes.

Thus there is amble scope forconvergence of CoconutDevelopment Board’s schemeswith the state government schemes.We need to work on how variousschemes could be converged toeffectively address the issues of thesector for better results. A uniqueintegration of programmes acrosskey departments related to coconutfarming and industry will definitelyensure enhanced and sustainedincome and increased productivitypaving the way forward to thecountry to excel in coconutproduction, productivity, valueaddition and export.

Theme article


Convergence of schemes of HorticultureDepartment, Government of Karnataka

Vijayakumar Hallikery,Deputy Director, CDB, RO, Banglore

Karnataka state is leading inhorticulture development in thecountry. In the state, Horticulturecrops are grown in an area of 19lakhs ha which accounts to theproduction of 150 lakhs tons ofproduce realizing a revenue ofRs.20,000 crores generatingemployment opportunity to nearly75 lakhs people directly orindirectly. About 12 lakh familiesare dependent on horticulture. Eventhough the state is leading inhorticulture development, there aresome lacunae which include, lackof adoption of precision farming inproduction, scientific managementand effective utilization of water,inadequate post harvest technology,processing, value addition,marketing and export of the produceof different crops. For the effectiveimplementation of differentschemes in the state and effectivevisual impact of scheme, we shouldhave convergence with theschemes of the relateddepartments.

Comprehensive HorticultureDevelopment in Karnataka

The Chief Minister, Governmentof Karnataka has announced aspecial package for ComprehensiveHorticulture Development forwhich a provision of Rs.305 croresis earmarked for three yearsstarting from 2012-13. Theobjective of this package includeincreasing the horticulturalproduction and productivity byadopting comprehensive scientificmanagement practices, reducingthe loss of different horticulturecrops and to promote processingand value addition, financialupliftment of farmers, improvingmarketing outlets for crops whichrequires storage in effective mannerand overcoming the lacunas inproduction of quality produce.

State sector schemes:

Under this scheme, financialassistance @ 50% of the cost ofthe chemicals or Rs.1000/ha forindividual beneficiary uptomaximum of 4ha. is provided for

overall control of pest and diseasein horticultural crops providing plantprotection chemicals and formechanization in horticulturalactivities wherein the beneficiarywill get 50% or upto Rs.50,000 forpurchase of improved implements /equipments. For procurement ofcoconut seeds and nurserymanagement the Department willprovide quality certified coconutseedlings at the rate fixed by thedepartment to the farmers. Underspecial package scheme, vegetableseeds worth Rs.2500 will beprovided.

Centrally Sponsored Scheme –Drip Irrigation

Under this scheme the totalallocation of the annual action planfor this scheme for 2012-13 forhorticulture is Rs.19459.57 lakhsout of which the central share is10500.37 lakhs and the matchingstate share is Rs.8959.20 lakhs.The sharing pattern under thescheme for drip irrigation, small andmarginal farmers are entitled to50% of total cost as GOI share and

Theme article


30% as state share and remaining20% to be borne by the beneficiary.There is another scheme whereinGovernment of India’s share will be40%, 40% as state share and theremaining 20% will have to be metby the beneficiary. The samepattern is followed in case ofsprinkler irrigation also. For generalfarmers for both drip and sprinklerirrigation, subsidy will be providedat the rate of 80% to all the categoryof farmers upto an extent of 2haper beneficiary. The subsidy will be50% upto an extent between 2hato 5ha. For demonstration,assistance will be provided @ 100%of unit cost for a maximum of 0.5haper beneficiary with 75% GOI shareand 25% state share. Around 30%of the budget allocation isearmarked to women beneficiaryfarmers. For the adoption oforganic farming , the farmer will beprovided with 50% with ceiling ofRs.10,000/ as assistance in threeinstallments. For organiccertification, a unit of 50ha will beprovided with Rs.5.00lakhsassistance in three installments forpromoting organic farming.

An amount of Rs.30,000/ isprovided as assistance for vermincompost units of 20 ft x 4ft x 2ft of8 units or 50% of the cost of theunit. In addition to promotion ofvermin compost units , thedepartment is promoting bio-digester with the same guidelines asthat of vermin compost. Forincreasing the pollination in theplants, the department is promotingrearing of Honey bees in differentgardens including coconut gardenfor increasing the setting percentageand to concurrent increase in theyield of the crop for which an

amount of Rs.800/ per box or 50%of the cost for maximum of 50boxes is provided as assistance.

RKVY Programmes

Under the scheme, thedepartment is implementingprecision farming to promoteBanana cultivation either as purecrop or as inter crop in otherhorticulture crops including coconut.All the small and marginal farmersbelonging to SC and ST groups whoadopt precision farming will beprovided with 50% of the cost orRs.45000/- per acre for a maximumlimit of 2 acres. Under the schemecomponents like, leveling of theland, pit taking, cost of the plantincluding transportation, cost ofplanting, bio-inputs and bio-controlagents, plant protection chemicals,application cost, stakes and tyingstrips, inter cultivation, weeding anddrip irrigation for which the farmercan avail subsidy separately undermicro-irrigation scheme. TheDirector of Horticulture shall ensurethat 16.2% and 8% of the funds aretargeted for Scheduled Castes andScheduled Tribes farmers/beneficiaries respectively, and atleast 30% of the budget allocationsare earmarked for womenbeneficiaries/farmers.

NRLM schemes

NRLM’s mandate is to reachout to all the poor families, link themto sustainable livelihoodsopportunities and nurture them tillthey come out of poverty and enjoya decent quality of life. Towards this,NRLM puts in place a dedicatedand sensitive support structures atvarious levels. The mission ofNRLM is to reduce poverty byenabling the poor households to

access gainful self-employment andskilled wage employmentopportunities, resulting inappreciable improvement in theirlivelihoods on a sustainable basis,through building strong grassrootsinstitutions of the poor.

Convergence and partnerships

NRLM would place a very highemphasis on convergence with otherprogrammes of the Ministry ofRural Development and otherCentral Ministries and programmesof state governments for developingsynergies directly and through theinstitutions of the poor.

Funding Pattern

NRLM is a Centrally SponsoredScheme and the financing of theprogramme would be sharedbetween the Centre and the Statesin the ratio of 75:25 The Centralallocation earmarked for the Stateswould broadly be distributed inrelation to the incidence of povertyin the States.

Financial Assistance to SHGs

NRLM would provide revolvingfund and capital subsidy fund to theinstitutions of the poor. Theprovision of these funds is expectedto strengthen their institutional andfinancial management capacity andbuild their track record to attractmainstream bank finance.

Convergence of CDB schemeswith NRLM

In Karnataka coconut is grownin almost all the districts but mainlygrown in Tumkur, Hassan,Chitradurga, Mandya, Mysore,Chamarajanagar, Udipi, Dakshina

Continued on page 25

Theme article


Production and distribution of quality plantingmaterials of coconut from DSP farms

B ChinnarajSenior Technical Officer, CDB, Kochi

Introduction

Coconut Development Boardunder the Ministry of Agriculturewas established in 1981 for thedevelopment of coconut cultivationand allied industries. The Boardcommenced implementingdevelopmental programmes from1982-83. Board is maintainingseven Demonstration-cum-SeedProduction (DSP) Farms with theobjective of producing qualitycoconut seedlings of Tall, Dwarfand Hybrid of different parentalcombinations suited for differentagro-climatic conditions. The Farmsalso serve as demonstration centresfor scientific coconut cultivation.The 20 ha DSP farm at Mandya(Karnataka) is the first farmestablished by the Board. The otherfarms are at Abhayapuri (Assam),Madhepura (Bihar), Kondagaon(Chhattisgarh), Neriamangalam(Kerala), Vegiwada (AndhraPradesh) and Pitapally (Odisha).

The growth rate in area undercoconut in the country during thepast decade was 0.8%. In thecoming years also this trend isexpected to continue and there arepossibilities for expanding areaunder coconut in Maharashtra,Chattisgarh, Meghalaya, Assam,and other North Eastern states. Thepresent area under coconut is 1.89million ha. Taking into considerationan average growth rate of 1% anadditional area of about 18900 ha

is to be brought under new planting.Considering the planting density of175 palms per ha the annualrequirement of planting material isaround 3.3 million seedlings. Thusthe annual requirement of seedlings

among the farmers, due to theirearly bearing character, semi tallnature and high yield. The nonavailability of dwarf mother palmsis one of the major constraints inthe production of DxT hybrids.

DSP Farms

in the country is estimated to bearound 10 million. For theproduction of 10 million seedlingsabout 15 million seednuts are to becolleted and sown in the nursery.

Seedling production scenario

High yielding varieties andhybrids of different parentalcombinations of Dwarf x Tall (DxT)and Tall x Dwarf (TxD) have thepotential to yield at least 25-40%more than the locally cultivatedTalls. Though many hybridcombinations of DxT have beenreleased and their performance ismuch superior to local cultivars theiravailability is limited. DxT seedlingshave also got high acceptance

Presently there are very limitednumbers of coconut gardens wheredwarf palms are available. Dwarfnuts are preferred for tender nutpurpose and they fetch higherprice. Board at its Demonstration-cum-Seed Production (DSP) Farmsis producing quality coconutseedlings of Tall, Dwarf andHybrids of different parentalcombinations suited to differentagro-climatic conditions.

DSP Farm, Mandya (Karnataka)

This is the first farm establishedby the Board in 1982 in an area of20 ha. It is situated 10 km awayfrom Mandya town. The soil is red


sandy loam with Moram gravel,which is well suited for coconutcultivation. The average rainfall is743mm. However the farm ismaintained under irrigatedconditions. The main water sourceis KRS Dam for irrigating coconutpalms and coconut nursery.

The total palm population in theFarm is 3654 of which 3200 areyielding. The major cultivars areTiptur Tall (908), West Coast Tall(199), Tamil Nadu Tall (138),Laccadive Ordinary (66), BenaliumTall (120), Chowghat OrangeDwarf (1182), Malayan YellowDwarf (161), Chowghat GreenDwarf (297), Malayan OrangeDwarf (154), Hybrids (308), andother varieties including Exotic(121).

Different hybrid combinationslike COD X TT, CDG X TT, MODX TT and MYD X TT are producedin this farm. The hybrids producedfrom this farm have wideacceptability in South India becauseof their high yielding capacity.

The main mandate of the farmis production of quality plantingmaterials. The farm has produced4.50 lakh coconut seedlings ofdifferent varieties since 1999. In2012-13 around 2.50 lakh seedlingswere produced and supplied tofarmers of southern states. Theproduction target of the farm for2013-14 is 2.40 lakh seedlings.

The Demonstration Plotsestablished in the Farm promotemulti species cropping in coconut toenhance the net return from theunit area. Crop combinations of (a)coconut, cocoa, nutmeg, pepper andpapaya and (b) coconut and cocoaare well maintained in the plots.

Among the various cropcombinations cocoa is foundperforming well under Mandyacondition.

A parasite-breeding lab ismaintained in the Farm for thecontrol of leaf eating caterpillar andalso for sale under LODP projects.The average yield recorded in theFarm during 2012-13 was 135 nutsper palm per year with its highestproductivity of the Farm since itsinception. The Farm is under theadministrative control of CDB,Regional Office, Bangalore.

DSP Farm, Abhayapuri (Assam)

The 40 ha Farm, establishedduring 1986-87 is located atBatabari Village in BongaigaonDistrict about 3.5 km away fromAbhayapuri town and 200 km fromGuwahati. The Farm is under theadministrative control of theRegional Office, Guwahati. Thetotal palm population is 4080, ofwhich 3028 palms are bearing. Thefarm has red soil with a pH rangeof 5.5-6.5. The annual averagerainfall received in farm is 1300mm.During the year 2011-12 a total of2.85 lakh seed nuts were procuredand sown in the commercial nurseryattached to the Farm and 16,507quality seedlings (Tall - 11946,Dwarf - 3284 and Exotic - 1277)were certified for distribution tofarmers. The Farm is under theadministrative control of the CDBRegional Office, Guwahati.

DSP Farm, Madhepura (Bihar)

This 40 ha farm was establishedin 1987 at Singheshwar inMadhepura District of Bihar. Thefarm is situated 7 km away fromthe District Headquarters,

Madhepura and 300 km from theState Capital, Patna. The farm hasred loamy soil. The annual averagerainfall received in the farm is tothe tune of 1300-1900mm. Themajor source of irrigation in thefarm is bore wells. Out of the 40ha, 31 ha is covered under coconutplantation in three blocks. Thepresent palm population in the farmis 3511 out of which 3006 palms areyielding. Various horticulture cropslike litchi, mango, guava, orange,arecanut, pomegranate etc. weremaintained in addition to thecultivation of other intercrops liketurmeric, amorphophallus andspices like cinnamon, black pepper,etc. The farm is under theadministrative control of CDBRegional Office, Guwahati.

DSP Farm, Kondagaon(Chhattisgarh)

This DSP farm in 40 ha wasestablished in 1988 with a view toproduce quality coconut seedlingssuited to the area as well as topromote scientific coconut farmingthrough demonstration of theproduction and processingtechnology. The farm is situated 3km away from Kondagaon townand is situated 571metres aboveMSL. The soil in the farm is lateritesandy with a pH range of 5.5 to 6.3.

The existing palm population inthe Farm is 5096, of which 3622palms are yielding. A total of 79073nuts (49792 Tall, 11377 Dwarf,16428 Hybrids and 1476 Exotic)were harvested of which 18461mature coconuts were selected asseed nuts from the identified motherpalms in the Farm and sown in thenursery during 2011-12.

DSP Farms


Various perennial intercrops viz.mango, lemon, litchi, amla, tamarind,coffee, jack fruit, karonda,cashewnuts, cinnamon, blackpepper, cocoa and other seasonalcrops like colocasia, sweet potato,turmeric, elephant foot yam andpineapple were maintained in thefarm. Besides, demonstration ofcoconut cultivation and productionof seedlings the farm producesgood quality vermin compost fromcoconut leaves.

DSP Farm, Neriamangalam(Kerala)

This Farm was established in1991 in the land provided by theGovernment of Kerala free of cost.It is situated 70 km away fromKochi and the extent of the Farmis 20 hectares. The river ‘Periyar’,one of the biggest perennial riversin Kerala is flowing along thenorthern boundary of the Farm.

A total of 1896 coconut palmsof different cultivars are planted inan area of 12.93 ha. The presentpalm population is 1896, of which1326 are in the yielding stage. Aninter-se block of WCT, CGD andCOD planted inside the Farm by theCPCRI during 1997 for futurehybridization programme to evolvedisease resistant hybridcombination, is maintained insidethe farm.

Perennial crops planted in theFarm are maintained well.Important crops among them arecoffee (1718), nutmeg (45), pepper(534), cocoa (560), garcinia indica(3), cashew graft (230), mango (4),jack (8), mangosteen (10) andarecanut (154). Crops liketurmeric, elephant foot yam andcow pea are also grown as seasonalintercrops and banana as annual/biannual intercrop.

Quality seedlings of differentvarieties are produced in the farmfrom the coconut nurserymaintained in the farm. 16088seedlings comprising of 1222 Tall,416 Exotic, 12926 Dwarf, 1069 DxTand 455 NCD were producedduring last year. The farm producesquality seedlings in thousands andthese are distributed to farmers.Three organic manure units weremaintained with a total productionof good quality vermi compostwhich is applied to the coconutpalms and intercrops.

DSP Farm, Vegiwada (AndhraPradesh)

This Farm was established in anarea of 40 ha in 1994-95 atPedavegi, in West Godavari Districtof Andhra Pradesh which issituated about 23 km away fromEluru town. The net area plantedwas 25 ha with a palm populationof 3991 coconut palms of differentcultivars. About 3083 palms areflowered and started yielding. Thefarm has red loam soil. The palmsare grown as rainfed along withirrigation from bore wells. Theannual average rainfall received inthe farm is 800-1100 mm.

Intercrops like cocoa (4822),guava (28), black pepper (531),amla (112), drumstick (72), custardapple (155), cashew (234) are alsomaintained. During last year 166480seed nuts were sown in the nurserywhich include nuts procured fromthe various farmers’ fields ofSrikakulam district of AndhraPradesh (Tall 73150) and ownsource (Tall – 1,43,100, Dwarf –28,680). A total of 61,198 seedlingswere certified in the nurseryincluding – 57,453 Tall, - 3,557Dwarf and 188 NCD.

DSP Farm, Pitapally (Orissa)

The DSP Farm Pitapally wasestablished in an extent of 40 haduring the year 1999-2000. Theplanting was commenced in August2000. The farm is situated on theside of NH-5 between Khurda andBhubaneswar. Total area broughtunder coconut planting is about33.92 ha. The present palmpopulation is 3834 comprising ofTall, Dwarf and Hybrid. So far 2914palms have come to flowering. Theperennial intercrops like mango,guava, sapota, cashew, cocoa andother seasonal intercrops were alsomaintained well in the Farm. Duringyear 2011-12, 75 ton vermi compostwas produced and utilized in thefarm itself.

During last year 3,70,235 seednuts were procured from the DSPFarm, Mandya, farmer’s fields inBrahmagiri and Arsikere and sownin the nursery. Total seedlingscertified were 17,083.

Considering the huge demandfor planting materials, CoconutDevelopment Board isimplementing a special programmefor raising quality planting materialsof different varieties especiallydwarf and hybrids under theprogramme enhanced nurseryprogramme under commercialnursery scheme. The target of 13lakh seedlings is fixed for 2012-13.It is expected that, Board isequipped to meet 10% of the annualrequirement of quality plantingmaterials of coconut. Hybridizationprogramme is also intensified toexplore the possibility of producinghigh yielding hybrid varieties in allthe seven DSP farms. Board hasset the target of producing 1.5 lakhhybrids by crossing 24,000inflorescence during 2012-13.

DSP Farms


‘Bongaigoan model’ ofconvergence in coconut based farming system

Sugata GhoseCCDO, CDB, Kochi

Assam is traditionally rich inhorticultural produce due to its diverseand unique agro-climatic conditions.Horticulture crops occupy 15% of thegross cultivated area. Coconut andarecanut are the high valuecommercial crops grown here.

The coconut cultivar prevalentlygrown in Assam is ‘Assam GreenTall’ named Kamrupa. The othervarieties released under the agroclimatic condition of the state forcultivation are Bengal Hazari,Bengal Selected WCT and TXDhybrid ‘Chandrasankara’. Coconutcultivation is still a homesteadpractice in the state in the northernbanks of the river Brahmaputra andselected areas in southern bank ina sporadic manner. The productivityof coconut in Assam is low. CDBhelps the farmers in scientificcultivation for increasing the areaand productivity of coconut in thestate. CDB, Directorate ofHorticulture, CPCRI, Kahikuchi,Horticulture Research Station,Kahikuchi and different identifiedNGOs from different districts ofAssam are the functionaries indistribution of quality plantingmaterial in the state.

The research on coconut inAssam was first initiated by theDepartment of Agriculture atRajabari in the year 1957. Later theproject was shifted to the RegionalFruit Research Station. Thescientific research work on coconutactually started in the year 1973.Assam Agriculture University is

doing coconut research and hasbeen maintaining a large number ofgermplasm including exotic types.At present Horticultural ResearchStation, Kahikuchi is maintainingmore than 1000 palms in the station.

Hitherto Cocoa cultivation wasthe monopoly of the south. But nownorth-east is all set to embark onmassive cocoa cultivation. To startwith, cocoa will be grown in about1,000 acre of Assam’s Bongaigaondistrict and the produce will beexported to Swiss chocolatecompanies. Shri. Shantanu P.Gotmare IAS, former DistrictCollector, Bongaigaon wasinstrumental in intiating this project.

Bongaigaon districtadministration has targeted 1,000families belonging to the ScheduledTribes, Scheduled Castes and theBelow Poverty Line categories andplanned to involve them in cocoacultivation as part of the MahatmaGandhi National Rural EmploymentGuarantee Act (MGNREGA) -ensuring that the marginalizedfamilies get 100 days’ work

District Rural DevelopmentAgency, Bongaigon is working inthe district and is doing coconut-cocoa farming system here for thefirst time. Agriculture Department,Bongaigaon is the implementingagency in collaboration with CDBunder the banner ‘Udayan Bikas’with the technical support of theFoundation of Organic Agricultureand Rural Development, an NGOfrom Kerala. The project will give

rise to the income and food securityto the farmers in the area. Thisproject is mainly focused to give aconvergence on individual farmerswith the target group from small andmarginal coconut holding farmersand BPL families.

It is for the first time thatcoconut-cocoa cultivation has beenundertaken in the northeast withgovernment initiative. The aim is toprovide work as part ofMGNREGA and to ensure goodreturns to the marginalized familiesthrough export. Cocoa cultivation inBongaigaon district was initiatedwith the convergence of threeschemes under MNREGA,Coconut Development Board andthe horticulture department. Cocoacultivation will be carried out in amixed way along with coconut andblack-pepper. Thus from within fiveyears, farmers can get the benefitfrom these three crops.

At present, one kg of cocoafetches about Rs 160/-. After fiveyears, each family is expected toget Rs 76,000 by selling cocoa.

About 2.5 lakh improvedvarieties of cocoa saplings areready for plantation covering 1,000acres. The formal inauguration ofthis new crop variety was held onAugust 3,2012

Cocoa cultivation in the districtis being carried out in an organicway. International agencies will beroped in for certifying the produceas organic.

Intercrop


Cocoa starts yielding from thethird year of cultivation. Buy-backarrangement is already made withthe Indian Organic FarmerProducers’ Company Ltd(IOFPCL), which in turn will exportthe produce to Swiss chocolatecompany.

The drop in production in leadingcocoa producing countrieslike Ivory Coast and Ghana, hasescalated the price of cocoa in theinternational market. Leadingchocolate companies are turning toIndia’s cocoa producing states,mostly in south India.

Coconut-Cocoa cultivation isgoing on in a big way in southernstates such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu,Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.Kerala has an estimated area of10,708 hectares under cocoacultivation, while Andhra Pradeshhas 14,061 hectares and Tamil Naduhas about 6,000 hectares,Karnataka is also increasing itsarea under cocoa cultivation. Now,

Assam is all set to become acoconut-cocoa farming state underMGNREGA.

Several studies have been madeon the agro-climatic conditions forcocoa cultivation along with coconutin Assam and it is found that thecondition in Assam is equallysuitable for cocoa production andhence District Rural DevelopmentAgency, Bongaigaon has taken upthis project for the first time inAssam.

Since the north-east has alreadyproved its potential for rubberproduction, it is expected that theproject will yield its resultspositively in a big way to reach thetarget group.

FOARD (Foundation ofOrganic Agriculture and RuralDevelopment) will providetechnical expertise and training tothe beneficiaries in preparation ofbio fertilizers and bio-pesticidesfrom locally available materials fora period of seven years. FOARD

will also extend other support likeextension services in value addition,produce processing and marketinglinkages with various famouscompanies. CDB also has comeforward with the supply ofseedlings and training apart fromproviding subsidy to the farmers.The practice of mixed cropping inorganic way is expected to improvethe soil fertility and conserve the soilas well. In the long term, it wouldprevent soil erosion and thusconserve the environment.

There are lots of expectationson the outcome of the projectearmarked for Bongaigaon Districtfor the betterment of the small andmarginal farmers and people in BPLgroups. Once the project takes offsmoothly and give the expectedresult within the prescribed period,this project may be treated andimplemented as a model project inthe rest of the state and countrywhere congenial coconut-cocoaagro-climatic condition exists.

Kannada, Uttara Kannada,Davanagere, Chickmagalur,Ramanagaram and Shimoga. Thecommon variety grown inKarnataka is Tiptur Tall whichusually grows upto a height of 25to 30 Mtrs. Making harvesting ofnuts is very difficult. The farmersin Karnataka are in the habit ofharvesting coconut by using bigbamboos i.e., traditional methodfollowed in most of the districts. Theservices of climbers are also utilizedwherever available. The climberscharge exorbitant rates forharvesting and cleaning of thecrown. Coconut Development

Board is giving training tounemployed youths in palm climbingand plant protection operations in amassive way in Karnataka duringthe current year in the name of“Friends of Coconut Tree” forcreating sufficient coconut treeclimbers. Those who havecompleted the training successfullyare considering this as a seriousprofession. Most of the trainedpersonnel earn Rs.500 to Rs.1000per day.

To implement this massivetraining programme, we canconverge this programme with

NRLM under training head. Thisprogramme will definitely help theunemployed rural youths in skilldevelopment and will provideemployment opportunity in coconutindustry and will help ensuresustainable self employmentopportunities. The trainees also canbe used for neera tapping, pest anddisease management, and thus mostsustainable income could begenerated which would stabilize thecoconut economy as a whole. Withthe above training programme wecan elevate the social and economicstatus of unemployed rural youthsbelonging to BPL families.

Continued from page 20

Intercrop


Khokan DebnathAssistant Director, CDB, DSP Farm, Pitapally

Convergence of Coconut Schemes in Odisha

Introduction

Odisha is bestowed with vastnatural endowments which ispredominantly agrarian. Agricultureand allied sectors contribute about18.4% of the Gross State DomesticProduct (GSDP) and continue to bethe backbone of the State’s ruraleconomy. Agriculture plays a criticalrole in the economy of the state andlivelihood of majority of itspopulation. Major coconut growingdistricts of Odisha are Puri, Ganjam,Cuttack, Nayagarh, Khurda,Jagatsingpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara,Gajapati., Balasore and Bhadrak.Considering the poor status ofcoconut production and coconut-

growing farmers, CoconutDevelopment Board has establishedone of its State Centres and aDemonstration cum SeedProduction (DSP) Farms atPitapally, which has been workingon increasing the area undercoconut cultivation and improvingthe production and productivity ofcoconut in the state.

Need for convergence

A multi-pronged developmentalstrategy has been adopted by theCentral Government and StateGovernment to promote coconutsector by addressing the needs ofthe marginalised groups in the state.The Central and State Governments

are spending large amounts for thedevelopment of coconut cultivationand improving the livelihoodconditions of the people. Severalprogrammes have been launched toachieve these objectives. Many ofthe programmes planned andexecuted by different Ministries,Departments and Agencies havealmost similar objectives targetingthe same groups and areas.Procedures and processes aresimilar in many ways in theseprogrammes. But the approvalsystem and implementing agenciesare different. The convergence ofdifferent programmes like,Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana(RKVY), National Horticulture

CDB Schemes in Odisha

Scheme Target

Remarks Physical Financial (Rs.) Expansion of Area Under Coconut (Direct implementation)

300 ha

33 lakhs

Rs.8000/- per ha, in two installment Rs.4000/- ha in first year and Rs.4000/- ha in maintenance year. (160 palms/ha)

Laying out of Demonstration plot (Direct implementation)

200 ha 43.75 Lakhs

As two installment Rs. 17500/ha in first year and Rs. 17,500 in maintenance year. (175 palm/ha)

Laying out of Demonstration plot (State Govt. implementation)

100 ha 35 Lakhs

As two installment Rs. 17500/ha in first year and Rs. 17,500 in maintenance year. (175 palm/ha)

Organic manure unit (Direct implementation)

5 Nos 5 lakhs Rs. 20,000 per unit (Size – 15x 1.5 x 0.70 m)

Extension activities – Trainings 5 Nos 0.50 Lakhs Trainings at LODP clusters Production and distribution of TxD hybrids (State Government)

25,000 Seedlings 3.125 Lakhs -

Establishment of Regional Coconut nursery (State Government)

50,000 Seedlings

6.25 Lakhs -

Coconut Palm Insurance Scheme 2.09 lakh palms 4.80 lakhs 50% CDB share (Rs. 2.40 lakhs)

Technology Mission on Coconut On need basis

Theme article


Mission (NHM), AgriculturalTechnology Management Agency(ATMA) and National RuralLivelihood Mission (NRLM) withCoconut Development Boardschemes will enable better planningand effective investments in coconutsector. Convergence also bringssynergy between differentgovernment programmes andschemes in terms of planning,processing and implementation ofprogrammes and schemes.

To effectively address the issueof coconut cultivation, efforts needto be optimized through inter-sectoral approaches. Fundsavailable with RKVY, SHM, ATMAand NRLM can be dovetailed withCDB funds for the betterment ofcoconut farmers. However CDBfunds should not be used assubstitute resources by differentdepartments and agencies for theirown activities. In Odisha differentdepartments and agencies arehaving several schemes fordeveloping the coconut sector in thestate.

State plan Schemes on CoconutRealising the growing demand ofcoconut & coconut products in thestate, the Government of Odishahas started a very ambitious projecton coconut under the dynamicleadership of Dr. Sanjeev KumarChadha, IFS, Director, Directorateof Horticulture, Government ofOdisha, Bhubaneswar with anoutlay of Rs.834.98 lakh during2012-13. Dr. Chadha is of theopinion that Odisha is having vastpotential in expansion of area undercoconut as well as in improving theproductivity of the existing oldcoconut plantation. It emphasizesthe need for processing and value

addition for ensuring a better pricefor coconut and its products.During 2012-13, the Directorate ofHorticulture has implemented thefollowing programmes on coconutfor the overall benefit of the farmingcommunity in the state.

Name of Scheme Target Rate per ha/ unit

(Rs.)

Assistance per ha/unit (Rs.)

Total Assistance (Lakh

Rs.)

Area Expansion 2000 ha 48000 24000 480.00

Laying Out Demonstration plot

1220 ha 49000 24500 298.90

Organic Manure Unit

200 ha 56000 28000 56.00

Miscellaneous 0.08

Total 834.98

Norms of Assistance under StatePlan

The financial assistance underAEP, LODP and OMU under stateplan is being provided to thefarmers having irrigation facilitywith due representation of ST/SC/women farmers. Farmers shouldtake up plantation of minimum of10 palms upto 2 ha for AreaExpansion Programme and clusterapproach for LODP programmeand having minimum of 5 coconutplants for organic manure units(OMU). The size of the OMU unitshould be 15mx1.5mx0.70 m whichmay be modified to 10m or 5m inlength keeping breadth and depthintact. The assistance will bemodified proportionate to the pitsize. The coconut plantation may begrown in clusters. The farmer hasto deposit 50% cost of the plantingmaterial as advance with theconcerned horticulturist/AHO andobtain the money receipt and qualityplanting material shall be suppliedby the AHO. Farmers will be

insisted on for taking up dripirrigation in coconut plantation byavailing subsidy under NMMI.Intercropping is to be done in allfields under LODP and AEPprogramme

Pattern of assistance

The Director of Horticultureshall provide the fund to theHorticulturist/AHO and theHorticulturist/AHO will release thesubsidy to farmers after deducting50% of the cost of planting material.Under LODP programme subsidywill be released only after gettingcompletion certificate fromconcerned AAE. Under AEP Rs.24,000/- and under LODP Rs.24,500 per ha of coconut plantationis being provided as subsidy duringthe first year itself.

MGNREGS (Mahatma GandhiNational Rural EmploymentGuarantee Scheme)

The Directorate of Horticulture,Govt of Odisha, Bhubaneswar hasinitiated a scheme underMGNREGS for establishment ofCoconut orchard for small andmarginal farmers of the coastaldistricts of Odisha. Under thescheme an area of 0.2 ha with apalm population of 35 plants at a

Theme article


spacing of 7.5x7.5 m is beingselected by the concerned DDH/ADH . An amount of Rs. 52,800/-is being provided per beneficiary inthree installments@ Rs. 31,300/-,Rs. 12,700 and Rs. 8,800 in threeyears respectively. During 2012-13,203 ha. has been covered inJagatsinpur (20ha) and KendraparaDistrict (183 ha). The Directorateof Horticulture is planning to cover570 ha during the next financialyear 2013-14 in Jagatsingpur(200ha), Kendrapara (200 ha), Puri(60), Balasore (20 ha), Badhrak (30ha), Cuttack (15 ha), Ganjam (25ha) and Jajpur (20ha) districts.

NHM - National HorticultureMission

National Horticulture Mission isa centrally sponsored scheme inwhich Government of India provide100% assistance to the statemission. In Odisha, NationalHorticultural Mission (NHM) hasinitiated the following componentsduring 2012-13

NRLM - National RuralLivelihood Mission

NLRM support grants to SHGsand their federations to help the poorto start new livelihoods or improveexisting ones-particularly in theagriculture and allied sectors likecrops, livestock/dairying, and inlandfisheries. Under NRLM, OdishaLivelihood Mission is working in thestate of Odisha with a financialoutlay of about Rs. 300 croresduring 2012-13.

Agricultural Promotion andInvestment Corporation ofOdisha Ltd

Agricultural Promotion andInvestment Corporation ofBhubaneswar, Odisha is formed by

the Goverment of Odisha to bringin a shift from subsistenceagriculture to commercialagriculture by motivating thefarmers and entrepreneurs oncommercial Agri Enterprises and toprovide an interactive couplingbetween technology, economy,environment, institution and societyfor speedy development ofAgriculture. Subsidy pattern of 25%fixed capital (excluding the cost ofland) subject to a limit of Rs. 25.00lakh (33%) limited to Rs. 25.00lakhs for SC/ST/Women/Graduatesof Agriculture and allied disciplinesis provided for any agriculturebased industry.

Shri. Rama Ranjan Baliarsingh,Chairman and Shri. Om Kar,Managing Director, APICOLBhubaneswar have mooted aproposal for convergence of theirschemes with the Board’s schemesparticularly under TMOC forpromoting the coconut basedindustry in the state.

Scope for Convergence

Since improving the livelihoodopportunities of farmers is the coreof these programmes, there isimmense scope of convergencebetween the programmes. Friendsof Coconut Tree (FOCT)programme of CoconutDevelopment Board can beconverged with the trainingcomponent of NRLM. Trainingmay be given to FOCT traineesunder NRLM/OLM. The fund fortraining will be met by NRLM andcost of the machine can be met byCoconut Development Board.OLM can provide the fund forcapacity building only and they cannot provide any machineries/equipments to the trainees as perthe norms of NRLM.

Adoption of organic farming andcertification of organic farmingunder NHM/SHM Odisha can beconverged with the target group of

Continued on page 30

Theme article


Schematic convergence of coconut schemes inChhattisgarh

R.S.SengarAssistant Director, CDB, DSP Farm, Kondagaon

Chhattisgarh, the newly formedstate of India is rich in its naturalrecourses. The climatic and soilconditions of the state is congenialfor growing vegetables, spices andmedicinal plants. The atmosphericcondition of Chhattisgarh especiallyof Bastar, Jashpur, Ambikapur andMahasamund is most suitable forcultivating coconut. A surveyconducted by CoconutDevelopment Board during thenineties identified that Chhattisgarhand Madhya Pradesh are having thepotential for coconut cultivation in2.5 lakh ha. Out of this around 2000ha. is already under coconutcultivation.

Climate

Chhattisgarh is situated between17 to 23.7 degrees north latitude and8.40 to 83.38 east latitude. As isusual with the tropical climate, thesummers in Chhattisgarh are warmand humid and the winters are cool.Chhattisgarh also receives a fairamount of rainfall with the averagerainfall of around 1400 mm. Therainwater is the major source ofirrigation and a large variation in theyearly rainfall adversely affects thecrop production. The metrologicaldata recorded at DSP FarmKondagaon indicates that the agroclimatic condition is favourable forcoconut cultivation in Chhattisgarhstate with special reference toBastar region.

Scope for Convergence of State& Central by sponsoredscheme

State and central sectorschemes put together can help toavail assistance from both at a time.It seems in many of the stateswhere state government providestraining and tools under theprogramme and central governmentprovides working capital or rawmaterial to make a sustainablegrowth of the sector.

There is scope for convergenceof schemes with the schemes ofCoconut Development Board andcentrally sponsored schemesimplemented by the stategovernment like MGNREGS,ATMA, RKVY, NHM, NRLM,Mukya Mantri Kausal Vikas Yojnaand RADP.

MGNREGS

It is a national level programmeimplemented throughout the countryto provide job to the ruralunemployed youth for theirlivelihood.

ATMA

This scheme is implementedthrough the concerned stateagricultural departments with adistrict level officer as the nodalofficer. The programme providestraining and visit programme withinand outside the state for technologyand skill development of the

farmers, participation in exhibitionin state and national level with theirproduce, demonstration of plots,formation of self help groups witha grant in aid of Rs. 10, 000 andseed distribution.

RKVY

Rastiya Krishi Vikas Yojna isimplemented in the state throughstate Horticulture Department. TheDepartment is utilizing the fund forproviding planting material to thefarmers. During the year 2011-12,under this scheme, state horticulturedepartment has purchased aboutone lakh quality coconut seedlingsfrom Coconut DevelopmentBoard’s DSP Farm Kondagaon.

NHM

This scheme is also implementedin the state through stateHorticulture Department whichutilised the fund by providingplanting material to the farmers.This is meant for horticulturedevelopment programme in the statefor processing, marketing, trainingand visit, distribution of qualityplanting material etc.

NRLM

This scheme is not taken up inKondagaon district on a large scale.However DRDA is planning toextent the scheme throughout thedistrict to provide livelihood to therural people particularly BPLfamilies.

Theme article


Mukya Mantri Kausal VikasYojna

This is a new programmelaunched by the Government ofChhattisgarh. Under this scheme,component for training is providedto make unemployed youthsustainable after the training. Thetraining also provides job opportunityafter the training based on theirtraining.

RADP

This scheme called Rain fedArea Development Programmeprovides Fisheries, Horticulture,Agriculture, Veterinary, Farmforestry etc. Under this schemethere is scope for planting ofhorticultural crops in individual

farmer’s field based on the proposalapproved by the district authority.

Coconut Development Board’sProgramme

Coconut Development Board isimplementing area expansionprogramme in the state with asubsidy @ Rs.8000 per ha. in twoequal installments.

DSP Farm Kondagaon

Coconut Development Boardhas established a 40 ha.Demonstration cum SeedProduction Farm located inKopabeda village in Kondagaondistrict in 1987-88. The DSP Farmhas a total palm population of 4996of different cultivars.

Name of the cultivar No. of plants

Tall variety 3439 Dwarf variety 874 Hybrid 472 Germplasm collection 211 Total 4996

DSP Farm is now producingquality planting materials on a largescale for the farmers ofChhattisgarh state. DSP Farm isalso providing training on scientificcoconut cultivation technology tothe farmers from time to time.

Convergence of Central andstate schemes are essential foreffectively addressing the coconutsector. The collective approacheswould definitely bring in betterresults for the coconut farmers andstakeholders.

farmers under LODP/AEP on acluster basis. Adoption ofintercropping/ mixed cropping ofcoconut gardens with different fruitcrops like mango, guava, sapota andbeverage crop like cocoa can beconverged with the AEP as well asLODP schemes.

There is long stretch of irrigationcanals available in the state. AEPscheme of the Board can beconverged with the MGNREGscheme for development of coconutplantations on the canal bankswhich will be allocated to theneighbouring farmers of the canalfor improving their livelihood.Adoption of micro irrigation like dripas well as sprinkler can beconverged with the scheme underNMMI being implemented by theSHM of Odisha. CoconutDevelopment Board can alsoimplement this scheme by obtainingfunds from NMMI, Krishi Bhawan,New Delhi.

Coconut based industries likepackaging of tender coconut water,virgin coconut oil, activated carbon,shell charcoal, coconut oil expellerunit etc can be established byconverging the financial assistanceof the Board under TMOC andfinancial assistance provided by theAPICOL, Bhubaneswar. Capacitybuilding programme of the coconutfarming community can beconverged with the schemes ofCDB and other organizations likeOdisha Livelihood Mission, OdishaRural Development and MarketingSociety, State Horticulture Mission,Agricultural TechnologyManagement Agency, Orissa TribalEmpowerment and LivelihoodsProgram etc

The technical know-how oncoconut production technology aswell as quality planting materialscan be provided from the DSP farm,Pitapally for the beneficiaries of theMGNREGS implemented by theDirectorate of Horticulture, Odisha.

Conclusion

Since a number of programmesare being implemented concurrentlyby different agencies of thegovernment in central as well asstate scheme for increasing thearea, production and productivity ofcoconut in Odisha, the convergenceof schemes is the need of the hourfor extending maximum benefits tothe farming community and coconutbased industries in the State. Thecoconut farmers are facing seriousproblems in marketing of theirproduces and are getting only a verylow price at the farm gate. Thereis very few coconut basedindustries in the state, which areessential for augmenting the priceof coconut. The scheme ofCoconut Development Board underTMOC should be converged withthe state sector schemes ofAPICOL and any other suitableagencies of the State of Odisha forrealizing a better income to thecoconut farmers and stakeholders.

Continued from page 28

Theme article


Coconut Neera production and processing in KarnatakaG.M. Siddharameswara Swamy,

Senior Technical Officer, CDB RO, Bangalore

Introduction

The Neera Board wasconstituted by the Government ofKarnataka to market the valueadded products made from neerain the state. The Board consists ofrepresentatives from the neeraindustry, i.e. farmers, stategovernment officials and neeratraining institutes. The key objectiveof the Board is to inspect andcontrol the quality of neera and itsproducts, give approval to labels andcome out with various schemes forthe sale of neera and its by-productsin the international market.

Horticulture Department,Government of Karnataka prepareda neera policy for commercialproduction of neera as a sweetbeverage to be promoted asnutritious energy drink. TheGovernment is planning to promoteit as an energy drink with medicinalvalues. The government came upto promote neera following thecrash in prices of coconut andcopra. Department of Horticulture,Government of Karnataka during2002-03 sponsored a grant-in-aidproject on “Technologies forenhancing the shelf life of coconutsap (neera)” through Central FoodTechnological Research Institute(CFTRI), Mysore and DefenceFood Research Laboratory(DFRL), Mysore. The CFTRI &DFRL have worked together anddeveloped a methodology of packingand preserving neera up to 45 days

in refrigerated and 30 days inambient conditions. In order tocommercialize the technologydeveloped by the CFTRI & DFRLa project for demonstration oftechnology for processing andpacking neera at a cost of Rs.115lakh was sanctioned with a sharingpattern of 25:75 between CoconutDevelopment Board, Governmentof India and Government ofKarnataka for establishing a pilotplant at Horticultural Farm, Tumbe,Dakshina Kannada district. Thepilot plant has already started trialproduction and packing of neera.Attempts are also made at packingin different flavors as per thecustomer’s preferences.

In the state of Andra Pradeshthe Khadi and Village IndustriesCommission (KVIC) is promoting‘neera’, as a health drink, so as touplift the depressed toddy-tapperseconomically. The centralgovernment is trying to developneera clusters under the scheme ofFund for Regeneration ofTraditional Industries (SFURTI).The Gramodyog Sangh, whichundertakes programmes to helpthose who tap the palm trees, hasunder its fold 50 co-operativesocieties or institutions. The Khadiand Village Industries Commission(KVIC) implements the scheme.Apart from increasing theavailability of the drink, the Neeracluster aims at generating moreemployment for tappers.

What is Neera?

Neera, otherwise called SweetToddy is a sap extracted frominflorescence of various species oftoddy palms. Neera is a natural andnon alcoholic beverage, high innutritional value and an instant thirstquencher. It is sweet, oyster white,and translucent. It is obtained byslicing the spathes of the palmyra,coconut and sago palms, andscraping the tender most part, justbelow the crown. It requires neithermechanical crushing, as in the caseof cane, nor leaching like that ofbeet-root. This palm nectar iswidely consumed in India, SriLanka, Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia,Thailand and Myanmar. This sweetsap of the palm, is fast becoming apopular drink on account of itshighly nutritive value, delicious tasteand agreeable flavor. The chemicalpercentage composition of neeravaries, depending on variousfactors, namely, place, type of palm,mode and season of its collection.Neera is considered as a nutritiousdrink as it contains a number ofminerals and salts and is high inprotein. It contains acids likeascorbic acid (one form of vitaminC), nicotinic acid (vitamin B3 andvitamin PP) and riboflavin (vitaminB2)

Composition of Neera:

Neera is rich in carbohydrates,mostly sucrose (table sugar), andhas a nearly neutral pH. It has aspecific gravity ranging from 1.058

Neera


Substance

Concentration

(gms per 100 ml.)

Sucrose (table sugar)

12.3 - 17.4

Total ash 0.11 - 0.41 Protein 0.23 - 0.32 Ascorbic acid 0.016 - 0.030 Total solids 15.2 - 19.7

Production of Neera

Neera is collected every morningjust at sunrise. The sap is extractedand collected by a tapper. The sapis collected from the cut flower ofthe palm. A container is fastenedto the flower stump to collect thesap. The white liquid that initiallycollects tends to be very sweet andnon- alcoholic. Neera is broughtdown from the top of the tree ineither earthen pots or vessels, andthen poured into stainless steelcontainers and bigger vessels, afterbeing filtered through a fine meshcloth or wire-mesh. Neera collectedas above contains all theconstituents of a cool and healthydrink with food and mineral value.It keeps the human system cool andimproves digestion. Fresh neera, asit trickles from the tree, is easily

susceptible to fermentation atordinary temperature, unless it isquickly treated with somepreservative.

Technological Developments:

Neera is highly susceptible tonatural fermentation at ambienttemperature within a few hours ofextraction from palms. Oncefermented, it transforms to toddywith 4% alcohol. Using severaltechnologies developed by variousresearch institutes, neera can beprocessed and preserved in itsnatural form to retain the vitamins,sugar, and other nutrients beneficialfor health. To preserve and extendthe shelf life of neera, heatpreservation techniques such aspasteurization are used. A specialfiltration technique to enhance theshelf life of neera was developedby the National ChemicalLaboratory, Pune, and technologiesfor the preservation and processingof neera was developed by theCentral Food TechnologicalResearch Institute, Mysore.

Value added products fromNeera

Palm Syrup: Palm syrup isproduced when fresh neera isheated and concentrated into syrup.

Processed neera Packing neera Packed neera

Neera

to 1.077. Composition of neera isgiven below:

In many countries, palm, syrup isused as a health and wellness drinkand is prevalently used in Ayurvedaand other systems of medicine. Thefresh neera is rich in carbohydrateswith sucrose as its main constituent.

Palm wine: Palm wine is analcoholic beverage created from thesap of various species of palm treesuch as the palmyra, date palms andcoconut palms. Palm sap beginsfermenting immediately aftercollection, due to natural yeasts inthe pores of pot and air (oftenspurred by residual yeast left in thecollecting container). Within twohours, fermentation yields anaromatic wine of up to 4% alcoholcontent, mildly intoxicating andsweet. The wine may be allowedto ferment longer, up to a day, toyield a stronger, more sour andacidic taste.

In India, palm wine or toddy isserved as either neera or padaneer(a sweet, non-alcoholic beveragederived from fresh sap) or kallu (asour beverage made from fermentedsap, but not as strong as wine).Kallu is usually drunk soon afterfermentation by the end of day, asit becomes more sour and acidicday by day. Spices are also addedin order to brew and drink and giveit its distinct taste.


Palm Jaggery

Neera converted into a solid ora semisolid crystalline mass readyfor direct consumption is calledPalm Jaggery. It has got wide useas sweetening agent in Indianvillage food products. Palm gur hasa characteristic smell of its own.Traditionally, Palm Jaggery is madeby boiling raw palm sap in large,shallow, round-bottom vessels. Theraw juice is heated at 40°C in a panand this juice is then delimed toneutrality ie., pH by adding eitherphosphoric acid direct or triplesuper phosphate solution slowly andstirring all the while. Boiling of thefiltered juice is done over open-firedimproved furnaces using metal pansof 20 to 24 gauge thickness. Asboiling proceeds, the froth andfoam coming up to the surface isremoved by means of a perforatedladle. The juice is stirred at intervalsto facilitate mixing and rapidevaporation. When the juicethickens, the fire is judiciouslycontrolled in order to prevent it fromcaramelizing. Correct striketemperature is judged by patting asmall quantity of the thickenedmass in water and rolling in into ballshape. If ball forms into a hard one,the strike is over and the mass ismoulded into moulds. The striketemperature can also be controlledthrough the use of thermometers.In order to facilitate easy removalof the blocks from the moulds, themoulds are either moistened withwater or besmeared with freshsweet oil before putting the thickmass into them. After allowing thegur to set for some time, the gur isremoved from the moulds andpacked. The quality gur is alwayshard, crystalline and golden-coloured.

Liquid Palm Jaggery

Palm Jaggery is in liquid formor semi solid form. It is very fineand Chemical free liquid syrup.

Palm Honey

It is produced at 78 Brix level.It is thick liquid syrup like honey. Itis used as a table syrup as asweetner in confectionary items likeice creams. It is a rich source ofiron for anemic patients and henceit is mainly used in pharmaceuticalsformulation.

Palm Sugar

Crystalline sugar made fromNeera or Palm Gur with or withoutclarification is known as Palmsugar. Ordinary Palm sugar has apolarisation value of 96° to 98°. Theinitial process of sugar making ispractically the same as that of gur.In this case also, juice is delimed,filtered and boiled. Chocolates,toffees and confectionery items aremade by Palm Sugar

Palm Candy

Like palm gur, palm candy hasalso its importance among theproducts of neera. It is beingproduced and used since procuringsweet neera from palmyra has beenknown. It has got its various usesin Ayurvedic medicinalpreparations.

Molasses

Palm molasses is a sweet syrupymaterial obtained as a by-productof palm sugar. Golden syrup andcattle feed are the other productsmade from Molasses. Bio-chemicalproducts like ethyl alcohol, aceticacid, citric acid etc., can beprepared out of molasses byfermentation methods.

Palm Vinegar

Coconut vinegar can also beproduced from the inflorescencesap other than from maturedcoconut water. Fresh sap is pouredin a wide large plastic container withclean – netted cover to allowaeration and prevent entry of dirtand foreign objects. After about tendays fermentation in well ventilatedroom, the sap can be harvested asvinegar. Vinegar has extensive useas preservative in pickle industryand flavoring agent in foodprocessing sector. The palmvinegar has good export potential ascompared to the synthetic vinegar.

Promotion and marketing ofNeera

Neera can be promoted as a softdrink.

If neera could be filteredproperly using a simple scientificmethod and if some preservativesadded immediately after extraction,neera could be bottled or cannedand stored for 45 days.

Chilled neera is a nutritiousdrink. It contains a number ofminerals and salts; acids likeascorbic acid, nicotinic acid andriboflavin; and also proteins andvitamin C. It has less calorificvalue, apart from being sweet anddelicious. It has been medicallyproved that neera is better thanmineral water.

Once the shelf life of neera isincreased properly stored andpacked, the drink could betransported to longer distances.Neera could become a nutritiousdrink offering a healthy alternativeto aerated beverages.

Neera


Coconut in Parliament

Mini MathewPublicity Officer, CDB, Kochi

During the financial year2012-13, various issues on

Coconut got highlighted in bothhouses of Parliament, as coconutindustry was passing through asituation of uncertainty. TheMembers of Parliamentrepresenting various constituenciesmainly from traditional coconutgrowing states raised severalquestions on plethora of issuesconnected with coconut industry invarious sessions of Parliament,Budget session, Monsoon sessionand in Winter session. Issues weremainly related to seeking moreimpetus to coconut farmers whowere hopelessly affected byunprecedented fall in prices. Thehouses of Parliament, the supremelegislative body of India heard theplea of agrieved coconut growersthrough people’s representatives.

Print/ electronic media all over thecountry gave extensive coverage tovarious issues on coconut.

Coconut industry consisting ofmore than 10 million small andmarginal farmers has been playingan important role in the economicdevelopment of the coconut growingstates. India has a production of16,000 million nuts; the secondlargest coconut producing countryafter Indonesia. Coconut is also anoil seed crop which is perennialwhile other oil seeds are mostlyseasonal. Eventhough the price ofseasonal crops are gettingremunerative, coconut is severelyafflicted by price fall.

Recently, in the winter sessionof Parliament held from Nov 22 toDec20, 2012, a number of issues oncoconut were discussed on thefloor of both Houses. Members of

both, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha,expressed their concern on theplight of the coconut farmers whowere suffering for want of adequateprice.

Nowadays, the situation ofcoconut industry is inconsistent dueto several issues viz., low demand,huge stocks, acute price fall, sturdycompetition from palm oil whichreached out to coconut oil markets,industrial markets, etc. Whileexport of coconut oil was limited toKochi port only, palm oil could beimported to India through all portsexcept Kerala port. Howeverunloaded palm oil consignmentreached Kerala through roads.

During the current year as manyas 14 starred questions and 10unstarred questions, were raisedboth during Question Hour and ZeroHour. “Calling attention notice”

Parliament


was also raised by a Parliamentariandrawing the attention of the augusthouse to the instability in coconutprices. Low demand for copra andcoconut oil, impediments forexports, and relatively betterscenario of coconut industry in thecompetitive countries were alsohighlighted. Discussions were alsoheld based on programmes andactivities of Coconut DevelopmentBoard viz., cultivation aspects,TMOC schemes, CPSprogrammes, FoCT programmes,area expansion, replanting andrejuvenation, export and import,Board’s role as an ExportPromotion Council etc whichresulted in bringing awareness onproblems of Coconut Industrybefore parliamentarians,government, bureaucrats etc.

Issues and suggestions raisedby Honourable Members

Questions based on import andexport of coconut products, palmsugar produced from neera, copraprocurement, schemes for providingsubsidy to coconut farmers,replanting and rejuvenation,initiatives taken by the Governmentfor finding markets for tendercoconut, procurement of coconutdirectly from farmers, declarationof tender coconut water as anational drink, availability ofseedlings and seednuts fromCoconut Board, TechnologyMission on Coconut (TMOC)projects and promotion of coconutindustry in the country,enhancement of MSP, inclusion ofcoconut oil in Public Distribution

System (PDS) and distribution atthe rate of 2 litre/month at asubsidized rate, inclusion of coconutoil in the mid day meal programme,restriction of palm oil importsthrough southern ports,enhancement of import duty of palmoil, incentives for export of coconutoil etc were contemporary topics oncoconut raised by the honourableMPs in various sessions especiallyduring question hour and zero hour.

COLLECTIVE EFFORTS

Collective efforts of farmerrepresentatives and honorableParliament Members and CoconutBoard could create certain impacton various issues related tococonut. In order to get maximumimpact, full co-operation of MPs forthe upliftment of coconut growers/stakeholders all over the countryespecially from traditional coconutgrowing states, is solicited. During2012 the repercussions of price fallwas brough out well by all print andelectronic media. Series of mediacoverages on alarming situationsmainly based on price fall havebeen noticed by the HonourableMPs.

The UPA (United PartyAlliance) Chairperson Smt. SoniaGandhi engaged a study team underthe chairmanship of HonorourableUnion Agriculture Minister Shri.Sharad Pawar to look into theissues seriously. Sincere efforts ofSmt. Sonia Gandhi in favour ofcoconut growers are praiseworthy.There was very good involvementof Shri. A.K. Antony, Honourable

Defence Minister, Government ofIndia for initiating discussions basedon price fall. Accordingly astakeholder’s meet on coconutplantation was held at Chennai on26th October which was inauguratedby Honourable Union AgricultureMinister. The meeting discussedabout the issue of price fall andchalked out ways to arrest pricefall. Recently memoranda havebeen faxed / telegrammed by therepresentatives of coconut farmercollectives - CPS / CPFs to theparliamentarians requesting toenhance MSP of copra and coconutand thereby to stop price fall. It isexpected that interventions ofhonorable MP’s may result inenhanced MSP (Minimum SupportPrice) of coconut and copra whichis yet to be declared by CACP(Commission on Agriculture Costsand Prices) by the beginning of2013. A substantial enhancementin MSP is expected, taking toaccount the hike in cost of inputsand wage rates. A slightenhancement in price of copra(12.84%) and coconut oil (12.83 %)during the month of December 2012was recorded in comparison toOctober 2012 which recorded thelowest rate. Certain decisions havebeen taken to solve the problems incoconut sector and some of themare still in pipeline stage.

IMPACT

1. 2.5% import duty on crudepalm oil:

Till recently crude palm oil hadzero import duty and refined palm

Parliament


oil had an import duty of 7.5%.Now Government of India hasdecided to impose 2.5 % duty onimports of crude palm oil. Thecabinet committee on economicaffairs declared this on 17th January2013. This will be beneficial to theailing coconut and coconut oilmarkets in South India. The benchmark price for calculating the tariffhas been changed for the first timesince 2006 on all edible oils. Thetariff value will be aligned withinternational oil prices.

The customs vide notification 08/2013-Customs (NT) dated23.1.2013 have changed the tariffvalues. The different values notifiedon 15.1.2013 and 23.1.2013 areshown in Table-1.

2. 2% export incentive forcoconut shell based activatedcarbon under Focus ProductsScheme:

This notification of the DirectorGeneral of Foreign Trade enables

Parliament

Table-1. Realigned tariff value of palm oil with international price

Courtesy: Customs- Non Tariff Circular 03/2013-Cust (NT) dated 15.1.2013 and 08/2013-Cust (NT) dated 23rd Jan2013 issued by Central Board & Excise & Customs, New Delhi in File No. (467/01/2013-Cus. V).

the activated carbon exporters ofIndia to avail 2% incentive witheffect from 1st January 2013.

3. Adhoc increase in MSP:

The Government of Karnatakaannounced an interim enhancementof Rs.700/- per quintal for ballcopra from Rs.5350/ ,the originaldeclaration of CACP, thus makingthe MSP for ball copra at Rs. 6050/- per quintal. Government of Keralahas also announced an additionalsupport of Rs.500/- per quintal ofcopra procured at MSP by ServiceCooperative Banks and societiesunder the Price Support Scheme tosupport the farmers for productionof FAQ grade copra in theprocurement process.

4. Promoting export of coconutoil:

The export market prices haveturned competitive for coconut oilsince domestic prices of coconut oiland international prices are almoston par. 20,000 MT of edible oil in

consumer packs up to 5 kg has beenpermitted for export through all EDI(Electronic Data Interchange) portsup to 13-09-2013 as per thenotification of DGFT dated 19-10-2012. A large number of coconutoil exporters has been using thisroute for exporting coconut oils. Atthe same time, bulk quantity ofcoconut oil can be exported withoutany restriction through Kochi port.

5. Restriction on Palm oilimport:

Import of Palm oil throughKerala ports continued to beprohibited resulting in increasedconsumption of coconut oil.

Coconut sector needs to takeadvantage by going in for high valueaddition. Venture into new exportmarkets through niche products willaccelerate growth of coconutindustry. In this regard the supportof our Parliamentarians is very vital.This will be beneficial to the coconutindustry’s overall growth.

Sl. No.

Chapter/ heading/ sub-heading/ tariff

item Description of goods

Tariff value (Per metric tonne 03/2013-

Cus (NT) 15.1.2013

Tariff value (Per metric tonne

03/2013-Cus (NT) 23.1.2013

1. 1511 10 00 Crude Palm Oil 447 802

2. 1511 90 10 RBD Palm Oil 476 853

3. 1511 90 90 Others – Palm Oil 462 828

4. 1511 10 00 Crude Palmolein 481 860

5. 1511 90 20 Others – Palmolein 863 863


Kissan Credit Card, a boon to farmersK.S. Sebastian

Assistant Marketing Officer, CDB, Kochi

Agriculture is the backbone ofthe Indian economy, with nearly 67per cent of the population of thecountry continuing to depend on iteither directly or indirectly for theirlivelihood. Considering the dominantrole of the sector and theimportance of credit as an input, amulti-agency approach has beenadopted by the Reserve Bank ofIndia (RBI) for ensuring credit flowto the sector. In spite of severalimprovements in the deliverysystems that have been undertakenover time, making institutional creditavailable to a large number offarmers, particularly small andmarginal farmers, continues to bea challenge to the banking industry.Financing for agriculture has beena gigantic task for banks, given theenormity of the credit requirementson the one hand and vagaries ofnature on the other. Both RBI andNational Bank for Agriculture andRural Development (NABARD)have taken several initiatives forsimplification of systems andprocedures and designing ofinnovative credit delivery productsin dispensation of agricultural credit.However, the traditional system ofprocedures, documentation etc.adopted by the banking system hadrendered availing of credit by thefarmers rather cumbersome.Provision of timely, adequate andhassle-free credit to farmers

continues to be one of the majortasks for banks in India.

In this context, the Kisan CreditCard (KCC) scheme introduced in1998-99 was a step towardsfacilitating the access to Short Term(ST) credit for the borrowers fromthe financial institutions. Thescheme was conceived as a uniquecredit delivery mechanism, whichaimed at provision of adequate andtimely supply of ST credit to the

each season. The withdrawalsunder both the systems werepermitted largely through debitvouchers or through withdrawalsfrom the saving accounts where thecash components were credited. Asfar as the ‘kind component’ isconcerned, payments were madethrough bankers’ cheques. As aresult the withdrawals were usuallybunched at the beginning of thecrop season and the repayments atthe end of season, when the farmers

Kissan Credit Card

farmers to meettheir cropp r o d u c t i o nrequirements. Theobjective was toprovide aninstrument, whichwould allowfarmers top u r c h a s eagricultural inputs

such as seeds, fertilizers pesticidesand also withdraw some cash formeeting their production relatedrequirements.

Under the earlier system,disbursal of short-term credit toagriculture was mostly throughdemand loans, but some banks hadadopted system similar to that ofcash credit, the facilities were,however, given for the period of oneyear or less, which necessitatedexecution of fresh documents for

were able to generate cash afterharvesting and marketing theirproduce.

The main weakness of suchshort term credit delivery systemwere :

i. a lot of paper work was requiredon account of filling separateapplications in each season;

ii. as the facility was largelyavailable as loan but not as cashcredit, the system did not allow


the borrowers to credit funds intotheir accounts, in case theyreceived funds in advance andthere was no scope to withdrawmoney from the account as andwhen required;

iii. payments were effected directlyto the input suppliers of thebank’s choice, thus leaving ascope for affecting the qualityof inputs; etc.

Given the above circumstance,the introduction of KCC has broughtin several advantages over thetraditional system of loandisbursement.

Salient features of the KisanCredit Card (KCC) Scheme

1. Eligible farmers to be providedwith a Kisan Credit Card and apass book or card-cum-passbook.

2. Revolving cash credit facilityinvolving any number ofwithdrawals and repaymentswithin the limit.

3. Limit to be fixed on the basis ofoperational land holding,cropping pattern and scale offinance.

4. Entire production credit needsfor full year plus ancillaryactivities related to cropproduction to be consideredwhile fixing limit.

5. Sub-limits to cover short term,medium term as well as termcredit are fixed at the discretionof banks.

6. Card valid for 3 to 5 yearssubject to annual review. As

incentive for good performance,credit limits could be enhancedto take care of increase in costs,change in cropping pattern, etc.

7. Each withdrawal to be repaidwithin a maximum period of 12months.

8. Conversion/rescheduling ofloans also permissible in case ofdamage to crops due to naturalcalamities.

9. Security, margin, rate of interest,etc. as per RBI norms.

10.Operations may be throughissuing branch (and also PACSin the case of CooperativeBanks) or through otherdesignated branches at thediscretion of bank.

11. Withdrawals through slips/cheques accompanied by cardand passbook.

12. Crop loans disbursed underKCC Scheme for notified cropsare covered under RashtriyaKrishi Bima Yojna (NationalCrop Insurance Scheme), a cropinsurance scheme introduced atthe behest of Government ofIndia to protect the interest ofthe farmer against loss of cropyield caused by naturalcalamities, pest attacks etc.

Advantages of the Kisan CreditCard Scheme to the farmers

• Access to adequate and timelycredit to farmers.

• Full year’s credit requirement ofthe borrower taken care of.

• Minimum paper work andsimplification of documentation

for withdrawal of funds from thebank.

• Flexibility to draw cash at anytime and buy inputs as per theneed of the farmer and also torepay as and when surplus fundis available.

• Assured availability of credit atany time enabling reducedinterest burden for the farmer.

• Sanction of the facility for 3 yearssubject to annual review andsatisfactory operations andprovision for enhancement.

• Flexibility of withdrawals from abranch other than the issuingbranch at the discretion of thebank.

Eligibility

a. All Farmers – Individuals / Jointborrowers who are ownercultivators

b. Tenant Farmers, Oral Lessees &Share Croppers

c. SHGs or Joint Liability Groupsof Farmers including tenantfarmers, share croppers etc.

Personal Accident InsuranceScheme

KCC holders have been coveredunder Personal Accident InsuranceScheme against accidental death orpermanent disability, up to amaximum amount of Rs. 50,000/- .The premium burden will be sharedby the card issuing institutions andthe borrower in the ratio of 2:1.

Scheme covers risk of KCCholders against death or permanentdisability resulting from accidents

Kissan Credit Card


caused by external, violent andvisible means, as under:

• Death due to accident(within 12 months of theaccident) caused by outward,violent and visible means -Rs.50,000/-

• Permanent total disability -Rs.50,000/-

• Loss of two limbs or twoeyes or one limb and one eye -Rs.50,000/-

• Loss of one limb or one eye- Rs.25,000/-

• Nominated office of insurancecompany to issue a MasterInsurance Policy to each DCCB/RRB covering all its KCCholders.

• Premium payable Rs.15/- for aone year policy and Rs.45/- fora 3-year policy.

• Designated insurance companywill nominate one office atdistrict level to function as nodaloffice for coordinatingimplementation of personalaccident insurance scheme forKCC holders in the district.

• Insurance coverage availableunder Policy only from date ofreceipt of premium at insurancecompany.

• Banks to ensure to incorporatename of Nominee in Kisan CreditCard-cum-Pass Book.

• Simplified claim settlementprocedure evolved underScheme whereby an Enquiry-cum-Verification Committeecomprising Branch Manager of

implementing bank, Lead BankOfficer and representative ofinsurance company to certifynature of accident causingdisability/death and recommendsettlement of insurance claims.

Progress in implementation ofthe KCC Scheme.

Since launching in August 1998,around 10.09 crore Kisan CreditCards have been issued up to 31March 2011 by Cooperative Banks,Regional Rural Banks andCommercial Banks puttogether. Scheme is implemented inall States and Union Territories(except Chandigarh, Daman & Diuand Dadra & Nagar Haveli) withall Cooperative Banks, RRBs andCommercial Banks. The KisanCredit Card has emerged as aninnovative credit deliverymechanism to meet the productioncredit requirements of the farmersin a timely and hassle-free manner.The scheme is under implementation

Kissan Credit Card

COIR PITH / COCO FIBREAlwin Coir Products’ one of the

largest manufacturing andexporting companies in India andsupplying premium quality Coir pith/Coco fibre related products like 1)Coir pith 5 kg bales; 2) Coir pith 650gm briquettes; 3) Coir pith growbag (slab); 4)Coir Husk Chips; 5)Coir/Coco Disk and 6) Coir Fibre /Coco Fibre. Interested buyersplease visit www.allwincoir.com ordirectly contact:Mr. Alwin, Managing Partner, AlwinCoir Products, Tuticorin-628210,Tamil Nadu, IndiaWebsite: www.allwincoir.comEmail: [email protected]

Tel: 91-4639-227545, Mobile: 91-98417 27594Fax: 91-4639-227690, Skype ID:allwin85

REFINED COCONUT OILAn ice coating producer from

Poland is looking for RefinedCoconut Oil. They annually useaprox. 1000 MT. Interested partiesmay directly contact: Mr. DorotaHoffmann Import DepartmentTerravita Sp. Z.o.o. ul. SzarychSzerega 48 60-462 Poznan, PolandTel: 48 61 66 88 315 Fax: 48 61 82219 31 Mobile: 609 479 239 Email:i m p o r t @ t e r r a v i t a . c o m . p l ,www.terravita.pl

Source: Cocommunity, January 2013

Export Opportunities for Coconut Products

in the entire country by the vastinstitutional credit frameworkinvolving Commercial Banks,RRBs and Cooperatives and hasreceived wide acceptabilityamongst bankers and farmers. Theannual increase in coverage ofKCC is hardly 10% in number,which needs to be improved to thelevel of 20%. In order to achievebetter coverage of farmers underKissan Credit Card Scheme,Department of Agriculture incollaboration with Revenueauthorities and Service Area Banksconcerned should organize specialKissan Credit Card Camps invillage/ panchayath level.Arrangements should also be madeto spot issuance of Kissan CreditCards to the farmers in theseCamps. Farmers collectives/initiatives like Coconut ProducersSocieties (CPSs) and Federation ofCPSs can also play a major role inenhancing the coverage of KissanCredit Cards.


Marketing

Board has initiated theimplementation of the innovativemarketing strategy for coconutproducts. As a prelude, Investor’sMeets were planned in all majorcoconut growing states to promotecoconut processing units. Investor’sMeets were conducted in Kochi andKozhikode where in activeparticipation of entrepreneurs wasthe major highlight. 238 prospectiveentrepreneurs participated in themeet at Kochi and 210 atKozhikode. The participants wereintroduced to the various valueadded products from coconut.Board also briefed on the innovativemarketing strategy for coconutproducts. Investors meets are tobe held in the forthcoming monthsin Tamilnadu, Karnataka, AndhraPradesh and West Bengal.

The product basket identified bythe Board includes packed tendercoconut water, coconut chips, virgincoconut oil, coconut milk/milkpowder/milk cream, ball copra,purified coconut oil for both edibleand non-edible purpose, naturalvinegar, coconut ice-cream etc. Thenext step is to estimate the demandfor coconut products in the majortowns/cities of India. CDB hasinitiated activities for theidentification of management/marketing/ training institutions forconduct of the market study. Themarket study will concentrate onthe specialities and tastes of thepeople of the selected area, theexisting market for coconutproducts, the coconut productsmarketed currently and their prices,the awareness among consumersregarding the coconut productsincluded in the product basket, theirconsumer acceptance, price,quality, packing etc.

The cities targeted forintroduction of coconut productsduring the current year are Mumbai,Delhi, Kolkotta, Chennai,Bangalore, Hyderabad,Ahmedabad, Pune and Surat.These are cities with populationover 4 million. But the Board istargeting to reach all cities withpopulation over one lakh during the12th plan period. Hence marketstudies will cover all major citiesand towns where the programmeis to be implemented.

Along with the estimation ofmarket demand, CDB is alsoplanning to form a Consortium ofprocessors for which preliminaryactivities have been initiated.Integration of processors producingvarious products will be done toform specific Consortiums. In thefirst phase, CDB is contacting thoseunits who have availed assistancefrom CDB for the establishment ofthe unit under the schemeTechnology Mission on Coconut.This will be followed by addressingother units manufacturing theproducts in the product basket.Further to this, the processors willbe associated to form a consensusas to the establishment ofConsortium. CDB will be thefacilitating body for formation of theConsortium. There is already anAssociation of desiccated coconutmanufacturers functioning inKarnataka. Hence in the first phase,the meeting of this Association willbe convened to develop into aConsortium. The implementation ofthe innovative marketing strategywill concentrate on capacity buildingand expansion of the existing unitsand initiation of new units.

A desiccated coconutmanufacturing unit, KMR Industriesat Mayiladuthurai in Tamilnadu hasalready ventured into production ofcoconut chips. They have taken atrial run and designed the packagingof the product. They are in theprocess of conducting market studyto assess consumer acceptance.

A kick start in implementing Innovative Marketing Strategy

Apart fromthis, theDepartmentof Agriculture inTami lnaduhas expressed interestto establishan exclusivew h o l e s a l emarket fortender coconut in Tamilnadu similarto the tender coconut market inMaddur in Karnataka. TheGovernment of Tamilnadu has alsoacknowledged tender coconutwater as the drink of 2013.

The Government of Kerala hadalready declared tender coconut asthe official drink of the state. Theyhave agreed to extend a subsidy ofadditional 25% to processing unitsand has approved three Kera parks.CDB has also requested the StateGovernments in other majorcoconut producing states to provideassistance for coconut processingunits. This will encourage investorsto enter into coconut processing.CDB has also initiated a blog oninnovative marketing strategieswherein opinions and comments onthe topic is solicited from interestedpeople. A media plan for genericpromotion of coconut products isalso being developed.

Deepthi Nair. S.Marketing Officer, CDB, Kochi


2nd Investors’ meet in coconut sector

2nd Investors’ meet in coconutprocessing sector was held on 11th

January 2013 at Kozhikode. Theobjective of the meeting was tosupport coconut based investorsfrom Malabar region to establishcoconut processing units inindustrial park at Kuttiyadi beingestablished by KSIDC. KSIDC hasalready taken possession of 135acres of land at Kuttiyadi inKozhikode for establishing ‘KeraPark’ and will allot land for potentialentrepreneurs to start ventures incoconut sector. The first investors’meet was held at Kochi on 2nd

November 2012.

Shri. T.K. Jose IAS, Chairman,Coconut Development Board in hisaddress informed that land will beprovided to interestedentrepreneurs in the coconut biopark which is going to be the firstof its kind in India. Board will extentprocessing technology along with25% subsidy from the Technology

Mission on Coconut. He informedthat the marketing team of theBoard with its innovative marketingstrategies will identify new marketsfor the value added coconutproducts produced in the coconutbio parks. Value added coconutproducts like packed coconut water,coconut ice cream and coconutchips have good demand both in theIndian and international market.Even though India holds the premierposition in production andproductivity, the country lag farbehind in processing for valueaddition. A small country like SriLanka which is having a lessproduction than that of Kerala stateis exporting coconut products fourtimes than that of India.

Since the last 10 years we couldestablish only 220 coconutprocessing units in India. During the12th five year plan period, Board istargeting to identify 200entrepreneurs each in every year.

He offered wholehearted support ofthe Board for the same. Board hasalready started the preliminarysteps for identifying market forcoconut products in 63 JnNURMcities in India. Even though exportsector provides better income,Board is trying to explore theuntapped domestic markets whereinproduct mix of value addedproducts viz., packed tendercoconut water, coconut chips,desiccated coconut, virgin coconutoil, ice cream, coconut milk cream,coconut milk powder, ball copra,packed coconut oil and coconutvinegar will be made available. Hecalled upon the farmers andstakeholders to make use of thisopportunity.

Shri. Manayath Chandran,Chairman, Kerafed in his addresscalled upon the farmers andstakeholders to explore all thepossibilities of Kalpavriksha forensuring maximum income. He

Shri. T.K. Jose IAS addressing the investors’ meet. Seen are Shri. Sugata Ghose, Shri P.T. Thomas Kutty, Shri.Manayath Chandran, Shri. Alok Kumar Sabu, Shri. M. Sreeram, Shri. Abdul Rahiman and Shri. Narayan Das

News


News

hoped that this meet will makeoverall changes in the economy ofcoconut sector. Shri. Alok KumarSabu, representative, MalabarChamber of Commerce, Shri M.Sreeram, former President, CalicutChamber of Commerce, Shri.Abdul Rahiman, President, KeralaState Small Industries Associationand Shri. Narayan Das, VicePresident, Calicut Management

Association spoke during theoccasion.

Shri. Sugata Ghose, ChiefCoconut Development Officer,Coconut Development Boarddelivered the welcome address andShri. Prasanth P.R, AGM, KSIDCproposed a vote of thanks.Shri. P.T.Thomas Kutty, Executive Director,KSIDC, Shri. Sreekumar Poduval,Processing Engineer, CDB, Smt.

Deepthi Nair, Marketing Officer,CDB, Shri. V K Raju, ADR, Farms,KAU, Dr. Suresh, KAU, Dr. KMadhavan, Principal Scientist,CPCRI, Kasargod, Shri. P K Gupta,CFTRI, Mysore and Dr. Sabapathy,DFRL, Mysore spoke on theoccasion. Representatives ofleading public sector banks tookpart in the meet and successfulentrepreneurs shared theirexperience. M/s. Subicsha,Kozikode, manufacturers of IlaCoconut Soda, Kozhikode, RegionalResearch Station, KeralaAgriculture University had theirsales cum display counters in themeet.

The investors’ meet wasorganised by KSIDC in associationwith Coconut Development Board,Department of Agriculture,Government of Kerala and KeralaAgriculture University. Board isproposing to conduct investor’smeet in all major coconut growingstates.

Delegation from Myanmar visited CoconutDevelopment Board

A three member delegation fromMyanmar Investment and IndustrialDevelopment Committee visitedCoconut Development Board on 10th

January 2013 and held discussionswith Shri. T K Jose IAS, Chairmanand other senior officers of CoconutDevelopment Board. The delegationconsisted of Mr. Kyi Thar, SecretaryInvestment and IndustrialDevelopment Committee, Mr. AyeMauk, Planning and FinancialDevelopment Committee and Mr.Than Myint, Member of Parliament.The team was attracted on thetechnology for producing activatedcarbon from coconut shell. Shri.T.K.

Jose IAS, Chairman, CoconutDevelopment Board briefed on theactivities and programmes of the

Board. The team visited M/s. IndoGerman Carbons, Kochi on 11th

January 2013.

Myanmar delegates in discussion with Chairman, CDB

Board’s stall in Investors’ Meet


News

Training programmes in coconutconvenience foods

Technology DevelopmentCentre of Coconut DevelopmentBoard is conducting four daysentrepreneurship developmentprogramme, two days training cumprocess demonstration on coconutvinegar and one day training cumdemonstration on coconutconvenience foods and minimallyprocessed tender coconut. DuringJanuary 2013 74 persons weregiven training in 6 batches incoconut chips, coconut chocolate,coconut pickle and coconutlemonade and coconut vinegar.Separate sessions were conductedfor the entrepreneurs on packaging,quality standards, food safety andmarket potential avenues for

coconut convenience foods andvinegar. Trainees were briefed onfinancial and technical support

offered by CDB and other StateGovernment Institutions.

Global Konkan Mohostav

Coconut Development Boardparticipated in Global KonkanMohostav - 2013 from 4th -7thJanuary 2013 at Nesko Complex,

Goregaon (East), MumbaiMaharashtra. Shri. Sharad Pawar,Union Agriculture Minister,Government of India inaugurated

A view of the training programme

the fair. Shri.Prithwiraj Chavan,Chief Minister, Government ofMaharashtra, Shri. Narayan Rane,Minister for Industries, Governmentof Maharashtra, Shri. ChaganBhujabal, Minister for Tourism,Government of Maharashtra andShri. Sunil Tatkare, Minister forWater Resource, Government ofMaharashtra were present duringthe occasion.

Global Konkan Mohostav - 2013fair showcased the latest and bestin tourism and agriculture. M/S AnuCoco-products, Andhra Pradeshand M/s. Adivasi Food ProductsPvt. Ltd,Kudal Maharashtra hadtheir sales cum display counter inthe Board’s stall.

A view of the Board’s stall


News

Food & Hospitality World, Mumbai -2013Coconut Development Board,

participated in Food & HospitalityWorld, Mumbai -2013 from 10th -12th January at MumbaiMaharashtra. Shri. SureshHirayenna Shetty, Minister forPublic Health and Family Welfareand Protocol, Government ofMaharashtra inaugurated theexhibition. Over 175 exhibitorsmanufacturing machines,equipment, supplies and semiprocessed product in the hospitality

industry exhibited their products,food drink items, machines,equipment, etc.

Coconut Development Boardarranged display cum sale of variousvalue added coconut products, likepacked tender coconut water,coconut oil, coconut milkpowder, virgin coconut oil,handicrafts etc. Informative postersand publications of the Board werealso displayed in CDB stall. Morethan one lakh people visited the fair.

Retired

Smt. P Lalitha, Assistant retiredfrom the service of CoconutDevelopment Board on 31st

December 2012. She has rendered30 years of service in the Board.She joined the Board in 1982 asHindi Typist.

Dr. V K Kanakalatha, HindiOfficer retired from the service ofCoconut Development Board on31st December 2012. She hasrendered 26 years of service in theBoard. During her tenure, abiannual publication in officiallanguage christened as ‘KeraBharathi’ was started. Hercontribution in Hindi implementationhelped the Board to bag manynational awards. She joined theBoard in October 1986 as Hinditranslator. Prior to this she wasemployed with Central Post andTelegraph department during 1975-80 and with Cochin University ofScience and Technology during1980-86.

State level workshop on coconutA state level workshop on

coconut was held on 22nd

December 2012 at Tiptur, TumkurDistrict Karnataka. Shri M.K.Shankaralingegowda, IAS, PrincipalSecretary (Horti), Government ofKarnataka inaugurated theprogramme. Shri G.S. Basavaraju,Member of Parliament andMember, CDB presided over.

Shri K.V. Dundi, Joint Directorof Horticulture PC and PP,Government of Karnataka,delivered the welcome address. Dr.K.G. Jagadish, IAS, Director ofHorticulture, Government ofKarnataka, Shri K. Govindaraju,KAS, CEO, ZP, Tumkur, Dr. S.V.Hittalamani, Additional Director ofHorticulture, Government ofKarnataka, Bangalore, Shri.Shrikant, Joint Director ofHorticulture (Drip Irrigation),Government of Karnataka, ShriNagaraj, Joint Director ofHorticulture (Planning),Government of Karnataka took partin the programme. The programme

focusing on coconut pest anddisease management, managementof coconut under rain fed conditionsand value addition and marketing ofcoconut was organized by theDepartment of Horticulture.

Dr. T.B. Basavaraju, SeniorScientist, HRS, Arasikere, Dr. A.N.Shailesh, Principal Scientist,NBAII, Bangalore, Dr. Devappa,Assistant Professor, AICRP Centre,HRS, Arasikere, Shri VijayakumarHallikeri, Deputy Director, CDB.,RO., Bangalore, Shri SreekumarPoduval, Processing Engineer,CDB., Kochi, Dr. Mamatha, ARS,Konehally and Shri Vijayakumar,Progressive Farmer, TumkurDistrict made presentations onvarious aspects during the technicalsession. A farmers interactionsession was also held as part of theprogramme. Around 800 farmersand prospective entrepreneurs fromvarious districts took part in themeeting.


Monthly operations in coconut gardensFebruary

Management

Andaman & Nicobar Islands:Cut down the dead trees andremove the debris from the garden.Keep the garden clean by weeding.Irrigate the nursery. Continueirrigation of palms. Collect seednutsfrom the selected mother palmswhich are regular bearers and havean annual yield of not less thanhundred nuts.

Andhra Pradesh: Irrigate thegarden. If the attack of blackheaded caterpillar is noticed, cut theheavily infested outermost 2-3leaves and burn. Spray the lowersurface of remaining leaves frondswith quinalphos 0.05%. Follow upby liberating specific parasites onpalms according to the stage of thepest. Release parasites only afterthree weeks of spraying chemicals.Release Goniozus nephantidis for3rd instar larval stage, Elasmusnephantidis for prepupal stage andXanthopimpla punctata(Ichneumonid) for pupal stage.Contact the nearest ParasiteBreeding Laboratory for gettingparasites.

Assam: Irrigate the garden.Continue collection of seednutsfrom the selected mother palms andstore them by adopting suitablestorage methods to prevent thedrying up of nut water. Dig pits of1m x 1m x 1m size at a spacing of8m x 8m in square system totransplant seedlings. Fill the pitswith a mixture of top soil, 500 g rockphosphate, 50 kg dry cowdung /compost manure upto a level of 60

cm height by keeping 40 cm pitempty. Apply 100 g 10 per centchlorpyriphos to prevent the attackof termites. Search for diseases likebud rot, stem bleeding and pests likerhinoceros beetle and red palmweevil. Clean the crowns of thepalms and spray 1 per centbordeaux mixture as a preventivemeasure against diseases, if notdone earlier. If stem bleeding isnoticed remove the affected tissuesof the stem and apply 5 percentcalixin on the wound. When this isdry apply warm coaltar. Root feedthe affected palm with 5 ml calixinin 100 ml water per palm atquarterly intervals. Apply 5 kg neemcake per palm per year along withthe second dose of fertilizers.Provide proper drainage duringrains and irrigate the palms duringdry spells.

Bihar/Jharkhand: Continueirrigation. Spray blitox @ 5 g/litreof water or Dithane M 45 @ 2 g/litre of water on the crown andbunches to avoid secondaryinfections due to cold injury. In lowlying areas apply 500 g urea, 1000g single superphosphate and 1000g muriate of potash per adult palmin the basins and mix with soil.Surface planting of seedlings can bedone in areas where water table ishigh. To provide shade, plant bananasaplings at a distance of 2 m awayfrom the newly planted seedlings.

Chhattisgarh: Irrigate the garden.Apply the 3rd dose of fertilizers tococonut palms. Adopt plant

protection measures against pestsand diseases. Mulch the basins andpractice intercultural operations inthe garden.

Karnataka: Irrigate the garden.Give 60-65 litres of water per palmper day under drip irrigation. Checkthe attack of rhinoceros beetle.Clean the crowns of the palms andfill the top 3 leaf axils of the palmswith a mixture of sevidol 8G (25g)+ fine sand (200 g) per palm or fillthe leaf axils with 10.5 gnaphthalene balls, 3-4 balls percrown covered with fine sand at 45days interval. Treat manure pits andother possible breeding sites with0.1 per cent carbaryl which is to berepeated in every three months.Spray 1 per cent bordeaux mixtureagainst leaf spot disease. Adoptintegrated control measures againstthe attack of leaf eating caterpillar.Release parasitoids immediatelyafter noticing the infestation andsubsequently three times atfortnightly intervals. In case ofsevere infestation, cut and burn theseverely damaged lower leaves andspray the under surface of theremaining leaves with Dichlorvas0.02 per cent or Malathion 0.05 percent. Do not harvest coconutsimmediately after spraying or rootfeeding with insecticides. A safewaiting period of 45 days is to bemaintained for harvesting the nutsfrom the root feeded palms. If theattack of mite is noticed, sprayneem oil formulation containing 0.1per cent Azadirachtin / Neemazal@


Management

4 ml/ litre of water. The spraydroplets are to be directed towardsthe second to fifth mature bunches.To manage the infestation of redpalm weevil, field sanitation is veryimportant. Cut and burn the fullyinfested and dead trees. Ifinfestation is noticed, inject 1 percent solution of carbaryl (50%) @1 litre per palm. Inject theinsecticide solution using a funnel.All the holes on the affected stemshould be plugged after injecting theinsecticide. Trapping of weevilsusing pheromone traps @1 trap/hacan also be undertaken.

K e r a l a / L a k s h a d w e e p:Continue irrigation. Adult palmshould be irrigated with 200-250litres of water once in four days inbasin irrigation. Apply 60-65 litresof water in drip irrigation. Ifirrigation facility does not exist adoptmoisture conservation measures likeshading, mulching and pitcherirrigation to young seedlings. Cleanthe crowns of the palms byremoving all the old spathes, stipulesetc. that come off easily. Adoptintegrated control measures if theattack of leaf eating caterpillar issevere. If the attack of mite isnoticed, spray neem oil formulationcontaining 0.1 per cent Azadirachtin/ Neemazal @ 4 ml/ litre of water.The spray droplets are to bedirected towards the second to fifthmature bunches. Start collection ofnuts for seed purpose. Apply onefourth of the recommended dose offertilizers in the irrigated gardens.

Maharashtra/Goa/Gujarat: Cutdown and destroy trees infectedwith anaberoga disease. Dig

isolation trenches around theaffected palms. Apply 5 kg neemcake per palm. Drench the basinswith 40 litres of 1 per centBordeaux mixture. Check for theincidence of stem bleeding in adultpalms. Treat the affected palms.After removing the affected tissueson the stem, apply 5 per cent calixinon the wound. When this is dryapply warm coal tar. Apply 5kgneem cake per palm per year alongwith the second dose of fertilizersto the affected palms. Continue theirrigation of palms. Prepare pits ata spacing of 7.5 m for new plantingof coconut. If the proposed land issloppy, take contour bunds orterracing.

Odisha: Remove stray shrubs andgrasses. Prepare the field and sow/plant intercrops like tubers, ginger,turmeric etc. Apply the second doseof fertilizers to coconut. Irrigate thegarden. Mulch coconut basins withcoir pith/ husk etc. If the attack ofmite is noticed, spray neem oilformulation containing 0.1 per centAzadirachtin / Neemazal@ 4 ml/litre of water. The spray dropletsare to be directed towards thesecond to fifth mature bunches.Clean the crowns and continueother maintenance operations. Ifthe attack of leaf eating caterpillaris observed, spray the undersurface of the affected leaf frondswith quinalphos 0.05% . In placeswhere winter is experiencedseverely, measures may be takento control secondary infection ofdiseases such as bud rot. In suchcases remove all affected tissuesof the crown and apply Bordeaux

paste on cut end and provide aprotective covering till normal shootemerges.

Tamil Nadu/Puducherry:

Continue summer irrigation once in4 to 7 days depending upon the soiltype. Under irrigated conditionapply one-fourth of therecommended dose of fertilizers i.e.250 g urea, 500 g singlesuperphosphate and 500 g muriateof potash. Search for rhinocerosbeetle on the crowns of the palmswith a beetle hook and kill thebeetles. Fill the top four leaf axilsof the palm with a mixture ofSevidol 8G (25 g) plus fine sand(200 g). Filling leaf axils with 12 gnaphthalene balls (approximately 3balls) covered with fine sand at 45days interval is also effective. If theattack of mite is noticed, sprayneem oil formulation containing 0.1per cent Azadirachtin / Neemazal@4 ml/ litre of water. The spraydroplets are to be directed towardsthe second to fifth mature bunches.

Tripura: Continue irrigation.Protect the palms especially theyoung palms from the attack ofwhite ants. Drenching of nurserywith 0.05 per cent chlorpyriphostwice at 20- 25 days interval isrecommended. Mulching with oldand dried leaves can be done duringthe month. Prophylactic measuresmay be taken up if not done inJanuary for combating the diseasesand pests.

West Bengal: Irrigate the gardenand nursery. Provide shade to thenewly planted young seedlings.Collect seednuts for sowing.


Market Review - December 2012

Highlights

! The price of milling copra and coconut oil expressed an upwardtrend at all the major markets during the month under report, whilethe prices of ball copra showed a mixed trend.

! The international price of coconut oil expressed a downward trendduring the month under report.

The month of Decemberwitnessed a slight increase in theprices of coconut, copra andcoconut oil which provided aninterim relief and hope for thecoconut farmers. Still the prices ofcopra did not rise above MinimumSupport Price in major producingstates and procurement activitiesinitiated by the Governmentmachinery under Price Supportschemes were ongoing even at thefag end of season 2012.

COCONUT OIL

The price of coconut oil quotedat all the major marketing centresin the country expressed an upwardtrend during the month underreview.

The monthly average price ofcoconut oil at Kochi was Rs.6433/-per quintal. The price of coconut oilat Alappuzha market also moved in

tune with the price behaviour atKochi market. The monthly averageprice was Rs. 6362/- per quintal atAlappuzha market and Rs.6543/- atKozhikode market. The prices atKochi, Alappuzha and Kozhikodemarkets were 6-7% higher than theprices prevalent in November 2012.

MILLING COPRA

The monthly average prices ofFAQ copra recorded at Kochimarket was Rs.4458/- per quintal.The monthly average prices of Rasicopra at Alappuzha market wasRs.4338/- and at Kozhikode marketwas Rs.4391/- per quintal. Theprices at Kochi, Alappuzha andKozhikode were 7.5-8.5% higherthan that of the previous month.The procurement operations underPrice Support Scheme wereongoing even during the last monthsince prices were still below MSP.

The Minimum support price ofmilling copra has been fixed at Rs.5100/- per quintal for 2012 season.A total quantity of 57,752 MT ofcopra was procured by NAFEDduring 2012 season. The quantityof copra procured through Tanfedin Tamilnadu is 29,772 MT while inKerala, 17,952 MT was procuredby Nafed through Kerafed andMarketfed. Around 6678 MT ofcopra was procured in AndhraPradesh and 3,350 MT inLakshadeep.

The monthly average prices ofmilling copra at Ambajipeta marketin Andhra Predesh was Rs.4040/-per quintal compared to Rs. 3860/-recorded during the previous month.

EDIBLE COPRA

The monthly average prices ofRajapur copra at Kozhikode marketwas Rs.5288/- per quintal, whichwas about 4% lower compared tothe price of the previous month.

The monthly average prices ofball copra at Kozhikode marketaveraged at Rs. 4711/- per quintal.

The monthly prices of ball copra

Price behaviour of coconut oil during December 2012

Market Review

Price behaviour of milling copra during December 2012

Deepthi Nair S.Marketing Officer, CDB, Kochi

42504296

45384592 4613

41504200

4342

4500 4500

4125

4215

4542 4542 4529

3800

4000

4100 4100

4200

3500

3700

3900

4100

4300

4500

4700

4900

2-12-12 9-12-12 16-12-12 23-12-12 30-12-12

Rs.

/Qtl.

Kochi Alappuzha Kozhikode Ambajipeta

6100

6217

6550

6625

6675

6100 6108

6400

6600 6600

6200

6267

67336750

6767

6000

6100

6200

6300

6400

6500

6600

6700

6800

6900

7000

2-12-12 9-12-12 16-12-12 23-12-12 30-12-12

Rs.

/Qtl.

Kochi Alappuzha Kozhikode


at APMC market Tiptur, inKarnataka averaged at Rs. 4965/-per quintal in December 2012 whileit was Rs 5800/- in Bangalore andRs. 4942/- in Arsikere.

The Minimum support price ofedible copra has been fixed at Rs.5350/- per quintal for 2012 season.A total quantity of 8890 MT of ballcopra was procured at MSP inKarnataka.

DRY COCONUT

The monthly average price ofdry coconut was around Rs. 4163/-per thousand nuts at Kozhikodemarket which was about 2 percentlower than that of the previousmonth.

COCONUT

The monthly average price ofRs.7200/- per thousand nuts fordehusked coconut at Nedumangadmarket, remained the same as thatof the previous month.

Arsikere APMC marketrecorded an average of Rs.5698/-for thousand partially dehusked nutswhich was about 2 percent lowerthan that of previous month.

Market PriceCoconut Oil Milling Copra Edible Ball Copra Dry Coconut Partially dehusked

Copra coconut coconut

Rs. / Qtl. Rs. / 1000 nuts Date Kochi Alappu- Kozhi- Kochi Alappu Kozhi- Karkala Kozhi- Kozhi- Tiptur Bang- Arsi- Kozhi- Nedum- Arsi- Bang- Mang-

zha kode (FAQ) zha kode kode kode lore kere kode angad kere lore alore(Rasi (Grade -1)Copra)

2-.12-.12 6100 6100 6200 4250 4150 4125 3800 5200 4750 4900 5800 4850 4200 7200 5000 6800 9650

9.-12.-12 6217 6108 6267 4296 4200 4215 4000 5296 4658 4956 5800 4909 4133 7200 5100 6800 9650

16.-12.-12 6550 6400 6733 4538 4342 4542 4100 5442 4842 4992 5800 4986 4083 7200 5192 6750 9933

23.-12.-12 6625 6600 6750 4592 4500 4542 4100 5300 4692 5010 5800 4990 4200 7200 5983 6550 10500

30.-12.-12 6675 6600 6767 4613 4500 4529 4200 5200 4613 4969 5800 4977 4200 7200 7214 6500 10500

Average 6433 6362 6543 4458 4338 4391 4040 5288 4711 4965 5800 4942 4163 7200 5698 6680 10047

Source: Kochi: Cochin Oil Merchants Association and Chamber of Commerce, Kochi - 2, Kozhikode: The Mathrubhumi dailyAlapuzha: The Malayala Manorama daily, Arsikere : APMC, ArsikerePrice quoted for office pass copra at Kozhikode and Rasi copra at Alappuzha markets. NT : No transaction

Market Review

The monthly average prices ofpartially dehusked coconut atBangalore APMC market wasRs.6680/- which was marginallylower than that of previous month.

The monthly average price ofpartially dehusked coconut Grade-1 quality at Mangalore APMCmarket improved to Rs.10047/-per thousand nuts which was about5.5% higher than that of theprevious month.

The monthly average price ofcoconut in Assam varied from Rs.19/- in Sonitpur to Rs. 31/- inGuwahati while it was Rs.50/- atAizawl in Mizoram, Rs. 29/- inAgartala in Tripua and Rs.24/- atDimapur in Nagaland.

The Minimum Support price ofdehusked mature coconut withwater is Rs. 14/- per kg forprocurement under PSS forconversion to copra.

TENDER COCONUT

The retail prices of tendercoconut at Kochi market rangedfrom Rs.20/- to 25/- per nut. Themonthly average price of tender

coconut in Assam was Rs.19/- pernut and Rs.20/- at Dimapur inNagaland while it was Rs.40/- atAizawl in Mizoram and Rs. 20/- inAgartala in Tripura.

INTERNATIONAL PRICEThe monthly average price of

US $890 per MT for coconut oil inEurope (C.I.F. Rotterdam) for themonth of December 2012 wasabout 8.5 percent higher whencompared with the price in previousmonth and lower by about 34percent compared to that of thecorresponding month last year. Themonthly average price of US$ 515per MT for copra was about 13percent lower than that of theprevious month and about 62percent lower than that of thecorresponding month last year.

The domestic price of coconutoil during the month of December2012, in Philippines was US$886 perMT and in Indonesia; the price wasUS$709 per MT. The internationalprice of Palm oil, Palm kerneloil(RBD) and Soybean oil wereUS$744, US$748 and US$1078per MT respectively.

icj january 2013

Documents