Minister for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry K.P. Mohanan said here on Friday that the government was embarking on a programme to manufacture and market safe-to-eat value-added products based on coconut.
Speaking after inaugurating the first phase of coconut procurement through the Kerala Coconut Growers Apex Co-operative Federation (Kerafed), he said the programme would be taken up this financial year. He said the government was committed to resolving the problems faced by coconut farmers in Kerala and ensuring better remuneration for them through the promotion of value-added commercial products.
Subsidy
Kerafed is procuring coconut from farmers at Rs.1,400 a quintal. A pressnote issued by the Principal Information Officer, Agriculture, said the farmers would get the procurement price directly without delay.
Kerafed will also purchase processed copra from cooperative societies.
The Agriculture Minister said that the societies would be sanctioned copra dryers at 50 per cent subsidy.
Kerafed’s Managing Director K. Prathapan and its Director P.J. Sivakumar were present at the function organised at the Anayara agricultural market in the capital city.
