'Coconectar' gets Coconut Development Board nod

The Coconut Development Board (CDB) has given the nod for the project prepared by the agricultural wholesale market at Vengeri here in association with the Kudumbasree self-help groups (SHGs) that envisages marketing of tender coconuts as a branded product.

The initiative, first of its kind in the state, is part of a policy to provide rural-urban linkage for the benefit farmers.

Mini Mathew, CDB chairperson, told Business Standard that tender coconuts would be procured, preserved and marketed.

The board has cleared the project for minimal processing of tender coconuts after procurement through Kudumbasree SHGs from farmer clusters, and market the same under the brand name of 'Coconectar'.

In the initial stage, 5,000 tender coconuts will be procured a day from farmer clusters in two gramapanchayaths in the district. "The details of the implementation of the project are being worked out" Mathew said.

Of the total project cost Rs 31.52 lakh, Rs 18.17 lakh would be provided as subsidy by the board. The rest would come from the stakeholders or banks. The project is a joint effort of farmer clusters, Kudumbashree SHGs, and agricultural wholesale market of Kdumbashree, Kozhikode district coordinator K Subash Babu told Business Standard.

Apart from providing the labour for harvesting coconuts, Kudumbashree SHGs would take the responsibility for managing kiosks for marketing the product.

Under the technology mission of CDB, steps would be taken to preserve the natural flavour of tender coconuts. The technology to be used in the process has been developed by the Kerala Agricultural University, according to CDB chief coconut development officer Thomas Mathew.

The technology, used widely in Thailand, provides tender coconuts a longer shelf -life making it convenient to market the product in bulk to hotels, hospitals and large consumer segments. The trial marketing conducted earlier showed that 'Coconectar' had a shelf-life of one month in the cold storage condition.