The State Budget presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday has proposed to allow tapping of neera, the sweet sap harvested from the coconut spathe.
However, the tapping of neera could be taken up only through the coconut growers’ federation in “limited quantities”. Mr. Siddaramaiah said the required amendments would be made to the Excise Act to allow such a tapping of neera. He said such a process would help in significantly increasing the incomes of coconut growers.
It may be noted that the Coconut Development Board (CDB) had been pushing for amending the rules to allow tapping of neera by describing this oyster sap as the "future of the country’s coconut sector".
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CDB’s Chief Coconut Development Officer Sugatha Ghose, had stated that the experience of coconut farmers in Kerala, which is the only State that has allowed tapping of neera, had shown that it is possible to earn a minimum of Rs. 15,000 a tree a year through neera while mere coconut sales can fetch only about Rs. 1,200.