Coconut Development Board Organized Massive Campaign for Coconut Farmers

As part of the nationwide campaign “Annadata Devo Bhava- Kisan Bhagidari Prathmikta Hamari” Coconut Development Board had organized a nationwide awareness campaign on ‘Scientific coconut cultivation, processing & value addition”, for the periods from 26^th April to 1^st May 2022, for the benefit of coconut farmers of the country.

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the program on 26^th April 2022 virtually. Around 20000 coconut farmers participated in the program.

As part of the program, a Centre of Excellence in Coconut and a Farmer Training cum- Administrative Buildings were inaugurated in Dhali, Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu, and Hichachara, South Tripura respectively. The Centre of Excellence in Coconut at Dhali is aimed at demonstrating improved coconut cultivation technologies which will act as a major source/ supplier of coconut planting material across the country besides technology transfer.

The establishment of the Training Center for Coconut in Tripura is a landmark in the development of coconut cultivation, particularly in the northeastern states. Around 80 seminars on various aspects of coconut cultivation, processing, and value addition were also organized as part of this campaign.

The awareness classes were conducted in association with ICAR, CPRI, State Agriculture/ Horticulture Departments, Krishi Vigyan Kendra’s, and Farmer Producer Organizations.

As part of the campaign, a three-day Virtual Trade Fair on Coconut Products was arranged that showcased the multifarious utility of the wonder crop ‘Coconut’ – ranging from food, sweeteners, and beverages to non-food products. It provided an opportunity for potential buyers and traders from across the globe to undertake a three-day sojourn through the diverse coconut products.

Dissemination of information among farmers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and other stakeholders on prospects of coconut cultivation and industry was the main objective of the campaign.