Coconut Commercial Complex has started functioning here. Farmers use drying yards in the complex to dry coconuts and prepare copra, procurement of which has started on Monday at the complex. However, the complex is yet to become a full-fledged one for which it was constructed as many activities envisaged for the complex are to begin only after installation of various equipment and machinery.
At present there are three drying yards in the complex, established at a cost of Rs. 45 crore on 20 acres of land to help coconut farmers of Pattukottai and Peravurani areas in Thanjavur district and parts of Muthupettai area in Tiruvarur district.
According to M. Manoharan, secretary, Thanjavur District Marketing Committee, each yard, measuring 40 metres x 40 metres, can be used to dry one lakh nuts. The main objective of setting up the complex was to help farmers to sell coconuts by keeping them in nearly 27 shops or convert them into copra and sell them at times of distress. At present Tamil Nadu Co-operative Marketing Federation Ltd (TANFED) was procuring copra for National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation Ltd (NAFED) from farmers at Rs. 51 per kilo.
Mr. Manoharan said that procurement of copra from farmers was an additional activity at the complex. The main activity was to help farmers to prepare copra for which drying yards were being used. A solar drier and a mechanical drier had also been installed. Once they started working, copra preparation would not be a problem even on rainy days. Farmers could put the nuts in the driers and prepare copra. The driers were yet to function as some more works were pending, Mr. Manoharan said. While the solar drier would use solar energy, mechanical drier will use coconut husk as fuel. It would remove the kernel from the shell and dry it and make it into copra. An oil and expeller plant was also under installation. It could extract 4,000 litres of coconut oil per day. Once it started functioning, it would be a boon to coconut farmers in this area.
While the coconut farmers are happy over using the drying yards for preparing copra, they also demand construction of a compound wall to prevent dog and other animals from entering into the facility. Coconut is cultivated on nearly 25,000 hectares in Pattukottai, Peravurani and Muthupettai areas. Each tree will give 100 nuts on an average in a year.
