SHWETA KAMAT
shweta@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: With a lack of value addition attributed as amongst the major factors holding coconut back from becoming a lucrative commercial crop, the State Agriculture Department is working towards promoting integrated farming encouraging coconut-based agri-businesses, in a bid to make farming of the crop a remunerative trade.
Reasons such as decreasing yields, lack of commercial returns, competition from neighbouring State export and problems like eriphide mite and black headed caterpillar menace are forcing coconut farmers to grow the crop at a very low scale.
Speaking to Herald, Agriculture director Nelson Figueiredo said that department is aware that the production of coconuts is on decline to some extent due to lack of care. Various reasons like increased wages of farm labourers, scarcity of skilled labourers or coconut pluckers, increased cost of fertilisers/manures, damage due to monkeys and pests for the reduced production of coconuts, he said.
“Coconuts are being sold at a low price and the cultivation is not remunerative to farmers in the State. In order to increase income and enable sustainable livelihood, farmers need to take up value addition strategies,” the director said.
Figueiredo said that value added products can become deciding factors in the price movement of coconut to ensure fair, reasonable and steady price for coconut farmers.
Hence, under Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA), the department is providing training on integrated farming, with an aim at increasing the production and productivity of coconut from unit holdings by proper and timely adoption of scientific practices in a farmer-participatory mode.
“Integrated farming will help facilitate the adoption of appropriate coconut-based farming systems in a cost-effective manner and thereby improve the production and productivity to generate better incomes for farmers. Critical inputs such as fertilisers, green manures and plant protection chemicals are being provided by the department,” the director said adding, “We are ready to provide more help through Central Coconut Board, if farmers approach us.”
Coconut oil, powder, sugar, cream, milk, virgin coconut oil (VCO), coconut shell powder, are some of the value added products which have huge demand in the national and international markets.
A farmer explained that coconut growers in the State are passing through a bad patch. “Coconut farmers have to dispose off their stock of coconuts harvested in May to make way for fresh harvest,” he said, demanding that coconuts brought from outside the State should be accounted through cess.
He said that despite having a large number of coconut trees, the farmers are forced to purchase the fruit from market to meet their house needs. He further said that the support price disbursal mechanism needs to be simplified so that the coconut growers get the hassle free benefit.
