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| Lifeline for Kerala's coconut farmers |
| Sanjeev Ramachandran / Thiruvananthapuram Nov 03, 2008, 00:03 IST |
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State plans 100-acre coconut farm in Thrissur.
The crisis-ridden coconut farming sector in Kerala is set to get a helping hand in its bid to stay afloat. The Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) is planning to launch a new platform that would bring farmers, processors and retailers together. It will also link agricultural production to the market to maximise value addition, minimise wastage and boost farmers’ income.
Kinfra has roped in the support of the Coconut Development Board to establish a coconut park at Kodakara in Kerala’s Thrissur district. KN Srikumar, senior media advisor, Kinfra, told Business Standard that the coconut farming sector is passing through a host of problems. Un-remunerative prices, competition from other edible oils, diseases affecting palms and low yield were the major isue afffecting the sector.
“The project is envisaged to cost Rs 50 crore, excluding the cost of land. Kinfra has zeroed in on 100 acres to establish the Kera Park at Kodakara in Thrissur and the land acquisition process is in progress,” Srikumar said.
He added that Kinfra will be the implementing agency for the project. He further added the proposed project will be developed under the public-private participation model. “The project would provide for the infrastructure requirements for farm-level procurement in identified clusters. It will also help in the processing of products,. Centralised infrastructure to take care of processing activities requiring cutting edge technologies will be established. ,” Srikumar said.
The park, to be up and running in three years, is expected to ensure value addition and effective marketing. “The project is expected to create world-class infrastructure facility, offering quality service to coconut products’ manufacturing industry. It will also bring in more investment in the sector. Exports will also grow due to the value addition and opening up of new markets,” Srikumar said.
Kinfra has planned the park in such a way that it would have modern infrastructure facilities and technologies for value-addition of coconut products. It will also ensure the smooth functioning of primary collection centres to co-ordinate the collection of raw material.
Srikumar added: “The park will be a well-defined processing and value addition zone with state-of-the-art processing facilities with a well-established supply chain. The objective is to facilitate establishment of an integrated value chain that will put to full commercial use all the parts of a coconut tree thus ensuring the zero wastage concept. This will enable farmers realise better overall earnings.”
It would also help in organisation of farmers into various clusters, with all the clusters coming together to form a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). The SPV will co-ordinate coconut farming for the industries that will come up in the Kera Park. “We envisage this central industrial park to be managed by a separate SPV, including potential investors as well as farmers’ clusters for setting up processing units for edible and non-edible products.”
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