Agriculture Minister Tomar to Inaugurate a Public Awareness Campaign on Coconut Cultivation

The Coconut Development Board is organising a nationwide programme on "Scientific coconut cultivation, processing, and value addition" from April 26 to May 1 for the benefit of coconut farmers as part of the nationwide campaign "Annadata Devo Bhava -Kisan Bhaghidari Prathmikta Hamari."

The programme will be launched on a virtual platform by Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar.

Awareness seminars on the topic of 'Scientific coconut cultivation, processing, and value addition' will be held at the national, state, and district levels, as well as at the level of Farmer Producer Organizations, for the benefit of the entire coconut farming community in the country.

The programme will involve approximately 20000 coconut farmers. The Campaign is being organised in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), CPCRI, state agriculture, horticulture, and farmer producer organisations. Four state-level programmes will be held in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, and Goa.

Kerala, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Bihar, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Assam, Tripura, and Nagaland are among the potential coconut growing belts. As part of the campaign, approximately 80 seminars on coconut will be held.

A Centre of Excellence in Coconut and a Farmer Training-cum-Administrative Building are being inaugurated as part of the programme in Dhali, Tiruppur district, Tamil Nadu, and Hichachara, South Tripura, respectively.

In addition to technology transfer, the Centre of Excellence in Coconut at Dhali aims to demonstrate improved coconut cultivation technologies and serve as a major source/supplier of coconut planting material across the country. The establishment of the Coconut Training Centre in Tripura is a watershed moment in the development of coconut cultivation, particularly in the northeastern states.

As part of the campaign, around 80 seminars on various aspects of coconut cultivation, processing, and value addition will be held.

A three-day virtual trade fair on coconut products will also be organized to demonstrate the versatile utility of coconut, which includes food, sweeteners, and beverages, as well as non-food products. It allows prospective buyers and traders to take a tour of the various coconut products on offer.