Kanniyakumari district is all set to get coconut value addition centre which will come up on nine acres at Shenbagaramanpudhur near here.
The State government has allowed ₹ 16 crore for the facility, which is expected to boost the farmers’ economy. Though coconuts play an important role in the economy of the district, they are sent to other districts either as tender coconuts and coconuts and no step was taken to add value to the farm produce. When cyclone Okhi felled thousands of coconut trees in the district, the trunks were sold for throwaway price to be used in constriction industry.
Though Kerala had introduced a range of value added products - from packaged tender coconut water to beautiful handicraft made with coconut shell – the State government did not do anything in this direction.
Following attempts made by agriculturists on several occasions, and the request was taken up with Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswamy by N. Thalavai Sundaram, Tamil Nadu Government’s Special Representative for Delhi, the government has sanctioned establishment of the centre.
“The facility will grade coconuts being produced in Kanniyakumari before being sent to various destinations for marketing. Moreover, it will pave way for a number of value-added products using coconut as raw material. In other words, coconut, which is being sold as such in the market, will augment the producers’ revenue manifold,” says Mr. Thalavai Sundaram.
The centre will have facilities to prepare coconut powder, dry coconut, virgin coconut oil, refrigeration and packaging facility to market tender coconut water, neera (coconut pathaneer), he says.
