Media Release
Kasargod, Sep 2: The World Coconut Day 2023 was inaugurated by Shobha Karandlaje, minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare, government of India at ICAR-CPCRI Kasaragod. She urged the entrepreneurs to double their exports by sending our value-added products to customers not only to localmarket but worldwide markets.
The minister called upon to utilize the government schemes such as PM Fasal Bheema Yojana, Agricultural Innovation Fund, and other schemes to improve production, value addition and export oriented trade. District-wise custom hiring centres have started all over the country, she said.
The minister cautioned the farmers against fake seeds everywhere. She welcomed the ICAR-CPCRI initiative on quality assured QR coded seedlings, which can help tracing the seedling details.
She highlighted the need of shifting copra centered processing to other products like neera, vco, and chips to delink coconut price from that of copra. "The FPOs can do many things in farm mechanization including application of drones with an aim to reduce cost of production. FPOs can avail incentives to set up custom hire center so as to cater the need of small and marginal farmers," she said.
She also mentioned that the budget allocation for agriculture increaded more than 4 times compared to 2014. "Similarly the MSP of copra doubled. Despite this, it is proven now that supply of more copra into the market will lead to price crash. The CDB and CPCRI should put further efforts to reach out farmers with all technolohlgies the farmers need," she said.
N A Nellikunnu appreciated the works of CPCRI and requested minister to hike allocation to Kerala. He appreciated Minister for showing keen interest in the Institute.
NA Nellikkunnu, MLA, who has presides on the function highlighted present crisis faced by the coconut farmers. He wanted bringing production to Rs 10 by adopting technologies. He wanted the departments to encourage the youth to take up farming.
The minister visited various research laboratory of the institute including tissue culture & the agro processing unit laboratory.she has also witnessed drone based spraying on coconut plantation,ground pollination device demonstration,product of organic farming technology, integrated pest and disease management practices adopted by institute.
Shobha Karnadlaje released QR code. She has also planted a coconut sampling in memory to her visit to the institute. She lauded the institute for their achivements and told that these should reflected in the sector.
Dr VB Patel, assistant director general (F&PC), ICAR, New Delhi felicitating the function, told stakeholders together that they can take coconut to higher levels in the long term. A database on carbon sequestration can be converted to a carbon trading model to estimate environmental impact. He congratulated the CPCRI for the generation of the highest number of technologies.
Publications were released during the programme, which include 1) Cultivation practices of coconut - North east India, 2) Advisory on integrated management of leaf spot disease in arecanut in English and Malayalam, 3)Ready Reckoner on Cocoa, Coconut and Arecanut (bilingual in English & Kannada), 4) Coconut Products by Coconut Development Board in English & Hindi and 5) Schemes for prosperity by Coconut Development Board. An app on QR code development for seedlings was also executed by the minister.
During the programme, following 15 farmer entrepreneurs all over india were awarded namely P A Elango, chief executive officer & Prabhu P K, Executive Promotions, M/s Global Coconut Farmers Producer Company Limited, T N; N U Raam Mohan, managing director, M/s Umapathy Coconut Hybrid Centre, T N; Vinodan T K, general manager, Vinayan E V, chairman, M/s Thrissur Coconut Producer Company, Kerala, Sarvajjan T V, Director, M/s Eramala Coconut Complex, Kerala; Sathyanarayana Udupa, chairman and MD, M/s Udupi Kalparasa Coconut and All Spices Producer Company Ltd, Karnataka; Muralidhar, advisor of the company; Kusumadhar S K, chairman, M/s South Canara Coconut Farmers Producer Company Limited, Karnataka; Chethan A, chief executive officer, Dinesh Prayag, general manager, M/s Krishna Plantations Pvt. Ltd., Goa; Nagesh Prayag, marketing manager, Ram Laxman Polabhai, owner, Ram Rajabhai Rambhai, co owner, Jotva Jagdish Lakshman Bhai, chief executive officer, M/s Mahakali Coconut farm, Gujarat.
Entrepreneurs were licensed with six technologies on the day for which, the minister had exchanged MoAs with them. They were Gangadhara Alva, Integrated Rural Agri Nursery, Badiadka – 671 551, Kerala on Shatamangala; Vanitha Yadukumar, Yashaswi Nursery, Korungu, Kemminje – 574 202, Puttur, Karnataka State on Shatamangala; Abdul Sawad T A, managing director of REDHIVE ODM LLP, Kasargod-671121, Kerala, on preservation of carbonated tender coconut water; YGP Coconut Farmers Producer Company Ltd., Chitradurga Road, Davangere, Karnataka-577003 on Collection of fresh and hygienic Kalparasa and production of natural coconut sugar; programme co-ordinator, KVK, Kannur on Aqua formulation of EPN Kalpa EPN (CPCRI- SC1); and Dr Venugopal Nainala, managing director, Narial Bharat Nutra Producer Company Limited, Mamdikuduru Village, Konaseema district. A P on Coconut chips.
Deepti Nair, (director (Marketing), CDB, Kochi proposed a vote of thanks.