A shortage of Neera tappers and working capital have combined to deliver a body blow to Neera- producing companies, which were launched in the early months of 2014 with the hope of lifting the fortunes of coconut farmers in the State.
The functioning of Thirukochi Coconut Producer Company in Ernakulam district too has been swayed by the conditions.
Coconut Development sources said recently that the rainy season had proved quite difficult for Neera- producing companies and that the ensuring season was expected to improve the fortunes of the companies. They said that production had been hit by a shortage of neera tappers as many of the tappers attached to various producer companies had left for their homes in the off season.
CDB training
Most of the Neera tappers are from Assam, Chhattishgarh and other States. The Coconut Development Board has so far trained 15 batches of Neera tappers and training will resume now that the rainy season has come to an end. Board sources said that the Board was keen to train the owner farmers themselves so that they were able to augment their income. Besides, there would be a steady stream of tappers to sustain the business.
Meanwhile, Neera-producing company sources have said that a shortage of working capital had affected many of the companies. The chief executive officer of Thirukochi Coconut Producer Company Sashidharan Nair said that the most serious problem confronting the company was a shortage of working capital. Share capital collection had not been completed and the present situation had stalled further collection from the farmers, he said. As a result, the company’s functioning could not be carried out as planned earlier.
The company based at Onakkur, near Piravom, has an installed capacity to process 2,000 litres of Neera per hour. However, it was not processing below 1,000 litres of Neera per day, said Mr. Nair. The company taps only around 1,200 trees. A shortage of tappers too was a problem, he added. He, however, said that there was healthy demand for Neera and biproducts from Neera in the market.
The condition of the Karappuram Coconut Producer Company in neighbouring Alappuzha district is similar. Chairman of the company Priyesh D. said that shelf life of Neera continued to be short and research and support were needed to improve the situation. At the same time, there was healthy demand for Neera in the market, he said.
The company with an installed capacity to process between 2,000 and 5,000 litres per day was processing only around 150 litres now.
Neera-producing companies also feel that the Coconut Development Board as well as the State Department of Agriculture should be able to provide better support and publicity for Neera to boost the business.
