The 45th meeting of the Project Approval Committee of the Technology Mission on Coconut has approved 19 projects worth more than Rs. 21 crore as well as a subsidy outgo of Rs. 4.25 crore.
A statement issued by the Coconut Development Board said that of the projects approved, five were research-related, 13 related to coconut processing and product diversification, and one related to marketing promotion.
Among the projects approved is a unit in Kerala for the production of virgin coconut oil. The plant will have a capacity to process 15,000 nuts per day.
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Six of the projects are for processing dessicated coconuts. They will have a total capacity to process two lakh nuts per day. There are also two projects for preservation of tender coconut water and packaging. Two coconut shell charcoal manufacturing units too have been approved by the committee. These units will have a combined capacity to process 20 tonnes of coconut shell powder per day.
Establishment of 70 integrated coconut points and one unit for processing ball copra with a capacity to process two lakh nuts per year have also been approved.
Karnataka will have a tender coconut water processing unit with a capacity to handle 10,000 nuts per day. Two dessicated coconut powder units have been sanctioned for Tamil Nadu. Andhra Pradesh will have a ball copra unit.
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