Tamil Nadu is a leading exporter of coconut byproducts such as activated carbon, coconut oil, and coconut shell charcoal, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said here on Friday.
Speaking at a farmers’ meeting organised by the Coconut Development Board, he said 4.44 lakh hectares was under coconut cultivation in the State (2.11 million hectare in the country), with productivity of 11,526 nuts per hectare, which was higher than the national average of 9,123 nuts per hectare. Of this, 88,467 hectares was under coconut in Coimbatore district.
Tamil Nadu is leading in coconut processing activities with a large number of units manufacturing activated carbon, virgin coconut oil, packaged tender coconut water, etc. Globally, India is positioned third in the total area under coconut cultivation and has 31 % of the annual global coconut production. Export of coconut products, excluding coir products, touched ₹ 3,236.83 crore last financial year, registering 41 % increase over the previous year. Activated carbon, coconut oil, dried coconut, frozen grated coconut, desiccated coconut, fresh coconut and virgin coconut oil are the major coconut products exported from India, he said.
M.R.K. Paneerselvam, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, said the State had so far procured 25,000 tonnes of copra from farmers through the marketing committee at 41 locations at ₹105.90 a kg.
The Central government has permitted procurement of 50,000 tonnes. The last date for farmers to register is October 31. The State is ready to procure copra throughout the year provided the Union government permits and it should increase the procurement price to ₹150 a kg, he said. The State government will study the demand of coconut farmers to supply coconut oil at PDS outlets. However, ways to increase the shelf-life of coconut oil should be explored, he added.
According to Horticulture Commissioner Prabhat Kumar, the Coconut Development Board runs 10 programmes to encourage value addition, quality seed planting, etc. The Horticulture Department is developing 12 clusters across the country, including banana cluster at Theni in Tamil Nadu.
Mr. Tomar met farmers of the Velliangiri Uzhavan, a farmer producer organisation, during his visit to Isha Yoga, and later met farmers of FPOs in Pollachi on Friday.
Meanwhile, Thanthai Periyar Dravida Kazhagam general secretary K. Ramakrishnan questioned the presence of BJP district president Balaji Uthamaramasamy on the stage at the Coconut Development Board function. He called for action against those who permitted the BJP district president to be seated on the stage in a government function.
