The Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) is set to release a coconut-based crunchy snack, called ‘Kalpa Kruch’, made from the residue obtained while preparing virgin coconut oil.
The institute expects the new product to compete well with similar products made from corn that are available in the market. Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh is scheduled to release ‘Kalpa Kruch’ at a farm fair at the Regional Station of the CPCRI at Kayamkulam, Alappuzha district, Kerala, on September 29.
P. Chowdappa, director, CPCRI, said coconut oil consumption was on the decline in the country and there was a “negative growth”. The only way to help growers was to promote value addition which should be scaled up to a minimum of 25 per cent from 6 per cent now to make the cultivation viable. “The value addition to coconut in Philippines and Indonesia is at 60 per cent,” he said.
He told The Hindu that the Kasaragod-headquartered research institute, in association with the Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative Ltd. (CAMPCO), Mangaluru, released Kalpa Bar, a chocolate, and Kalpa, drinking chocolate, a month ago.
The CPCRI has earlier made sugar and jaggery from neera (a sweet sap from coconut palm), chips, virgin coconut oil, coconut honey, and desiccated coconut as value-added products.
Consortium planned
There is a plan to form a national consortium of coconut producers’ companies to create a national brand for coconut, and produce and market at least one value-added product at the cluster levels, he said.
