ICJ English - February 2012.pmd

Success stories inCoconut farming

I N S I D E

THEME

News ........................................................................ 30

Government of India hosts 45th Cocotech session

Tender coconut parlour in Infopark, Kochi

MSP fixed for raw coconut

Flamingo Festival

Horti Food Fest 2012

Agri Horti Exhibition

Sundarbon Krishi Mela

Shri. Om Prakash IES, Addl. Commissioner (NHM) reviewedthe schemes of the Board

Science Expo 2012

Fruit and Vegetable Show 2012

TANFED to commence copra procurement in Tamil Nadu

Board invites projects for large scale production anddistribution of quality planting materials

Board’s pavilion bagged the best display award inNERAMAC-2011

Awareness Programme on Coconut Production Technology

Monthly operations in coconut gardens .................. 37

Market Review January 2012 .................................. 39

Let us salute the innovativecoconut farmers ..................................... 2T.K. Jose IAS

Srikanta, an enterprising farmer fromKanakapura ........................................... 4Vijayakumar Hallikeri

Reaching heights in themidst of dwarfs ...................................... 7Nisha. G.

Innovation brings in sustainability ......... 9Leenamol MA

Awesome farming in migrated land .... 11K.S. Sebastian

Cashing in on Coconut:a success story .................................... 13Resmi.D.S

A technocrat who opted for adifferent path ........................................ 15Deepthi Nair. S.

Hard work: the key to success ........... 16Jayanath R & Elizabeth Thomas

With an indepth passion for farming .. 18Sasikumar C

In the path of organic farming ............. 20Deepthi. R.

A golden investment fromhard earned money .............................. 22K.M. Vijayan

A Self Made Farmer .............................. 24Mridula K

A Kasaragodan success storyin coconut farming ............................... 26V G Chandrashekaran

Mohanraj, moves forward withdetermination ....................................... 27George Peter

A Civil Engineer turnedcoconut Farmer .................................... 28R. Jnanadevan

2Indian Coconut JournalFebruary 2012

Dear coconut farmers,

This issue of the Indian Coconut Journal isfocusing on innovative and successful coconutfarmers. We have with us an array of farmers who,through their innovative and creative ideas haveachieved success in coconut farming. Honouring thesuccessful farmers by bringing them to the forefrontusually happens only once in an year either on thefarmer’s day or during the distribution of annualawards to farmers. Why don’t we try to create adirectory of the 100 best coconut farmers from majorcoconut growing districts in various states andintroduce their ideas and expertise before others?Then we may try to increase this number to 1000best coconut farmers in such districts. This issue ofthe Journal may be treated as a humble beginningtowards this endeavour.

Details about 1000 Coconut Producer’s Society(CPS), 5000 Friends of Coconut Tree (FoCTs) andthe identified best farmers would definitely find aplace in the website of the Board along withphotographs. The successful farming models can becompiled in the form of a book and can be introducedbefore the farmers. The best models in many otherfields are finding their place in the media. There areeven ‘best seller books’ on some of them. The ‘onestraw revolution’ and the cultivation practicesintroduced by Shri.Subash Palekar are made famousthrough books.

It is high time that we must think ofpublishing the experiences of the best coconutfarmers. The success stories of our farmersand the Friends of Coconut Trees (FoCT) willbecome hits in the market, provided it is madeattractive and appealing to the existing andemerging farmers. This issue of the journal isthe first step towards this goal.

Technical experts of the Board authors in thisissue. Board is expecting articles from farmer writers,writers who love farming, media persons working infarming sector and also from officers of theagriculture/horticulture departments. Board is alsoexpecting publishing houses to bring out them beforereaders. Farmers are also invited to collect informationwith photographs of the successful farmers of theirrespective areas and the same can be posted in thewebsite of the Board. Your esteemed suggestions andadvises are also awaited. Such details can also begathered through CPSs, coconut farmers’ welfareassociations and FoCTs.

It is expected that by the time this issue of thejournal reaches you, 1000 CPSs would have beenformed and 5000 youths trained as ‘Friends ofCoconut Tree’ (FoCT) would be in the field. FoCTtraining has been successfully conducted inMaharastra and Lakshwadeep Islands. FoCT trainingin Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are in the offing. Saleof tender coconut water has been already initiatedby the newly formed Coconut Producer’s Societies.Harvesting and marketing of more and more tendercoconut is the crucial step to arrest the price fall ofmatured coconut. CPSs and FoCT are the initiativesof the Board to help farmers arrest the price fallinnovatively and creatively. We hope that throughthese initiatives the farmers can have more commandand control on their products and prices. As thereare an array of value added products that can bemanufactured from coconut, our farmers haverealized the potential of this crop and are confidentthat through product diversification and value additionthey themselves can contribute to arrest the pricefall.

Chairman’s Page

Let us salutethe innovative coconut farmers

3Indian Coconut Journal

February 2012

Our farmers believe that the fall in price of copraand coconut oil experienced during this year isartificial. Neither copra nor coconut oil hasexperienced any price fall in the international marketrecently. A downward trend in production is observedin the major coconut producing countries likePhilippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand andMalaysia. The production has come down drasticallyin Philippines and Sri Lanka. In Indonesia, it is notcopra and coconut oil but other value added productsthat form the major share of their exports. Sri Lankahas banned the export of coconut. As Brazil is not ina position to supply tender coconut and relatedproducts in required quantities, USA is now importingtender coconut products and other processed coconutproducts from Philippines, Thailand and Sri Lanka.USA is now looking forward for tender coconutproducts from India. Lots of enquires are coming tothe Coconut Development Board in this regard.

An increase of about 50% is observed in theexport of coconut products during the last nine monthsupto December 2011compared to the correspondingperiod of the previous year. A decrease in the totalproduction of coconut is observed in Kerala. Therehas been no report on increased production from TamilNadu too. No other states in India are producing copraand coconut oil in scales similar to Tamil Nadu andKerala. A single coconut fetches more than Rs. 20 inmany parts of North India and in some templepremises a single coconut is sold for Rs. 30 or evenmore.

Then what could be the reasons for the fall inprices? There is no rationale behind this price falleven as per normal market and price theories ofEconomics. The only alternative before us is to acceptthe reality and be creative and productive to respondto this challenge in a united manner. Board is in theprocess of making available the advantages of theMSP through the CPS to the farmers.TheGovernment of Kerala has already issued orders tostart copra procurement immediately on MSP rates.Initially we will work together for procuring coconutthrough CPSs for making copra and thus making theopportunity for getting the benefit of the declaredMSP. Unlike the previous years, this year offers a

golden opportunity to the farmers for getting morebenefit by procuring copra through CPSs. Board hasalready requested the Government of Tamil Nadualso to issue guidelines for procurement and decidestate level agencies.

We must develop the supply chain logistics forthe next summer season wherein we can regularizeharvesting, sale and processing of tender coconut.

We must make use of the expertise andtalents of management and engineeringinstitutions in the coconut growing districts inIndia to help farmers in the supply chaindevelopment, marketing, finance and also informulating the future strategy and vision ofthe CPSs.

Educational institutions can play a major role inthe vision building and also in preparing the businessplan, in forming their Federations and ProducerCompanies. In total, mentoring of CPSs can be bymanagerial and technical institutions. The first stepin this direction has already been initiated by RajagiriCentre for Business Studies, Kochi, Kerala. Theywill commence the training programme and wouldtransfer management expertise from class rooms tofield, especially to CPS s in Ernakulam district. Boardsolicits the co operation of all similar managementand engineering institutions in major coconut growingdistricts in the country in this mentoring process. It isexpected that this tie up would be mutually beneficialto the farmers, CPSs and the educational institutions.Officials of the Board in the respective states andcharge officers of the respective districts must kickstart this initiative.

A precarious situation brings out the best talentsof people and organizations to overcome thechallenges posed by the situations and can lead to abetter situation. Thousands of such motivating storiesare there as role models in our country. Let ustogether face this season of price fall to hand holdcoconut farmers to a better future.

T.K. JoseChairman

Chairman’s Page


Theme Article

Srikanta, an enterprising farmerfrom Kanakapura

Vijayakumar Hallikeri*

H.K.Srikanta son of Late Kunnamari Gowda,hails from an agricultural family. He was born inHonnaganahalli Village of Kanakapura Taluk,Ramanagara District. After his Post-Graduation inAgriculture from the University of AgriculturalSciences, Bangalore he visited the neighbouring stateslike Kerala, Tamilnadu, Maharashtra and countrieslike America, Holland, Germany, Australia, NewZealand, Japan, Switzerland, China, Malaysia,Mauritius and South Africa to develop his knowledgeand skills on the latest developments in agriculture.

Without opting for any lucrative government jobshe took up agriculture as his profession andconverted his 20 acre ancestral agricultural farminto a scientific farm. There are about 1000 coconutpalms which are 40-45 years old with a productivity

of around 125 nuts per tree. He is also having ascientific nursery for producing quality plantingmaterials of coconut and other fruit crops.

Along with his classmates he started a nursery inhis native village. Later on they started a seed companynamed Ceekay Seeds and Seedlings for developingnew hybrid vegetable seeds. They also establishedone R & D Farm near Maralvadi Village, KanakapuraTaluk, Ramnagara district in 86 acres. Srikanta hasdeveloped his 86 acres into a model horticultural farm.He constructed contour bunds to avoid soil leaching.Srikanta has undertaken scientific farming practiceslike contour farming, rain water harvesting,construction of check dams to conserve the water,drip irrigation for entire block of 86 acres, plantingof diversified horticultural crops like banana, mango,

Srikanta in his farm


February 2012

Theme Article

sapota, vanila, arecanut and coconut. This was done10 years before keeping in view of the scarcity oflabour which has become a major problem today. Hisfarm is very often visited by students of Universityof Agricultural Sciences during their studyprogrammes, various farmer groups and various agri-related institutions. Nearly 40,000 tissue culturebanana plants are grown and maintained by adoptingstaggered planting to ensure continuous harvesting.

His farm is identified as one of the best scientifichorticultural farms running by a qualified agriculturalgraduate. The State Government in recognition ofthe innovative ideas adopted in the farm, has awardedhim with Dr.M H Marigowda State Award for thebest horticultural farmer 2005.

Being aware of the growing demand for organicproducts, he has converted his farm into an organic

farm by establishing vermicompost production unithaving 100 tonne production capacity and is usingbio control agents in his farm.In recognition of hisinterest in farming, Coconut Development Board hasmotivated him to establish Coconut Nucleus SeedGarden programme with the financial assistance ofthe Board. Accordingly he has planted dwarf and tallvarieties of coconut palms in about 10 acres, whichwill start bearing within the next 2- 3 years.

Simultaneously he has also started an exportcompany called Indus Seeds Exports for productionand export of hybrid vegetable seeds to various exportmarkets like US and UK.

In anticipation of the demand for organic productsand bio-pesticides he is running a bio-pesticideproduction company called Bio-Pest ManagementPvt.Ltd. since 1996 in his farm premises. Thiscompany is manufacturing various bio-pesticides and

Intercropped with pepper A high yielding palm

Fermentor for Trichoderma production Vermicomposting at farm


Theme Article

bio-control agents, mainly for horticultural crops andplantation crops.

He is having a well established state of the artlaboratory facility for developing new products.Products like Sex pheromone traps and lures: ofCotton boll worm - Helicoverpa armigera, Tobaccocut worm, Pink boll worm, Diamond back moth,Spotted boll worm, Paddy stem borer, Brinjal fruitand shoot borer; Paraphermone Traps and lures ofFruit flies: Cucurbit fruit flies, mango fruit flies.Aggregation pheromone lures: for Red Palm Weevil,Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, which attacks coconuttrees, Antagonistic fungi – Trichoderma viride and T.harzianum. Botanicals – Neem based formulations.Micro-Nutrient formulations for vegetables, banana,arecanut, mango etc., spreading and wetting Agent:Surfastik – a concentrated non-Ionic adjuvant(spreader/wetting agent) for better performance ofthe biopesticides/pesticides etc have been developedby the laboratory. Suraksha is a new product for themanagement of Koleroga of Arecanut. The UASBangalore has conducted the trails and the product

is found to be very effective. He is also working onalternative control measures for budrot/collar rot incoconut especially in dwarf coconut varieties keepingin view that the Bordeaux has become resistant tophytophthora which is a common cause for bothcoconut and arecanut. Now he has isolated the fungusand new combination trails are in progress which isexpected to be a boon to coconut and areca farmers.

The different bio pesticides manufactured by thiscompany are supplied to the farmers of state throughthe department of horticulture/ agriculture. Duringthe current year, Biopest management unit has beenempanelled by Coconut Development Board for thesupply of Phermone traps for controlling the red palmweevil in coconut in the LODP cluster programmeof the Board

Foreseeing the severe labour problems faced bythe sector and also the increasing demand for tendercoconuts, Srikanta has converted his entire farm intoa Coconut Orchard by reducing the area underbanana. Recently he has planted 2000 tender coconutsaplings of Chowghat dwarf and Malayan dwarfvarieties, and another 500 D x T varieties procuredfrom the Mandya DSP Farm of the Board.

Srikanta is planning to set up a processing plantfor tender coconut keeping in view of the futureincreasing demand for tender coconut. To explorethe market opportunities he has already startedstudying the market strategy for marketing theproducts. The unit will be set up later. Srikanta is notonly a progressive farmer but also actively participatesin social activities with a view to serve society.

* Deputy Director, Regional Office, CDB, Bangalore

RPW trappedFunnel traps forlepidopteran pests

Mango fruit fly trap RPW entering into trap

Check Dam at farm


February 2012

Manoharan Nair hailing from Tholikkodu villagein Thachankodu, Thiruvanthapuram is widely knownas a promoter of dwarf coconut varieties. ManoharanNair a strict follower of organic farming is into farmingsince his younger age.

Excerpts of the interview with Shri. ManoharanNair.

Which are the main crops you are cultivating?I own 2 acre 30 cents of agriculture land. In this I

have planted 70 coconut trees, out of which 45 aredwarf and 25 tall varieties. 10 trees are 60 year oldand the rest are aged between 2 and 25 years. I amrunning an ornamental plant nursery. I am also doinglease farming in various places where banana, tapiocaand various other vegetable crops are grown.

Can you explain on your cultivation practices?

the traditional method of protecting the palm againstthe attack of rhinoceros beetles by applying salt andash. Attack of pig is prevalent in the area. I had aloss of Rs.5000/- last year due to the attack of pig.

Which are the other areas into which you are?I am the coordinator of the Matsya Keralam

project of the Kerala fisheries department. I amhaving pisciculture attached to my farm and is growingvarious varieties of fish. Last year I got Rs.25000/-from pisciculture alone.

I am also having a vermi compost unit from whichenough compost is made for manuring. I am alsosupplying earth worms to all required persons.

Being known as the promoter of dwarf varieties,what are your observation and activities forpromoting dwarf varieties?

I am mainly following organic farming. Every yearI will make basins around the palm. 4kg vermi compost20 kg cow dung and 1 kg bone meal are applied everyyear. Mulching is done with green leaves.

Are you practicing irrigation in your garden?Water in pumped from the nearby canal and proper

and timely irrigation is given whenever there is norain. Water from the nearby canal is used for irrigatingthe palms.

Which are the plant protection measures youare following in coconut farming?

According to my experience, the Malayan GreenDwarf variety which is widely grown in my gardenis disease resistant. Yearly crown cleaning iscontrolling the pest and disease to a greater extent.Crown cleaning is done thrice in a year. I practice

I started promoting the dwarf varieties of coconutat a time when people were neglecting coconutcultivation due to the dearth of climbers. I collectedMalayalam Green Dwarf and the Gaurigathramvarieties. As I could not develop enough seed nutsfrom my own mother palm, I identified good motherpalms from various places in Tholikodu and collectedseed nuts. Now I am producing seedlings anddistributing seedlings of dwarf varieties. I am alsomaking available mature nuts for householdrequirements. There is great demand for the seedlingsof dwarf varieties from inside and outside the state. Ihave distributed more than 5000 dwarf varietyseedlings by now. The advantage and attraction ofthe dwarf variety is that it will start bearing from the3rd year.

Nisha. G.*

Reaching heights in the midst of dwarfs

Manoharan Nair with the dwarf palm Manoharan Nair honoured on the Farmers Day

Theme Article


In order to create awareness among the childrenon farming especially in coconut farming, I haveinitiated a project. Under this project dwarf coconutseedlings have been planted in 300 school compounds.I personaly undertake the necessary plant protectionmeasures.

Can you explain about the yield you get fromyour crop and also on the marketing of products?

I am getting 4000 coconut per year, the majorshare of which is processed into copra and coconutoil. I am getting 7kg rubber on alternate days. Lastyear I got 62kg ginger and 800kg rice. From bananaalone I could get Rs.1.24 lakhs last year. From asingle tapioca plant. I am getting above 30 kg tapioca.

What are the innovations into which you are?I am hopeful that the project for children

implemented under my initiative will definitely createawareness among the younger generation onagriculture. If any schools are interested in thisproject, I am ready to extend all help.

As the coordinator of Matsya Keralam, I amsharing my knowledge in pisciculture to all those whoare approaching me.

What is your opinion about the assistanceextended by various agencies to promotefarmers?

Even though there prevails great demand fordwarf varieties, I do not have the financial backgroundfor producing seedlings in required quantities. If someagency is coming forward with financial assistance,I am willing to produce seedlings in large quantities.The pump set in my coconut garden is provided bythe Krishi Bhavan.

The message that agriculture and our culture are

the two sides of a single coin should be spread amongour young generation. They should be warned thatwe doesn’t have an existence on this earth withoutagriculture. The farmers from among us must beidentified and encouraged. These agencies mustcreate the circumstances for an individual to proudlysay that he is a farmer.

Are you aware on the schemes of the Board likeReplanting and Rejuvenation, FOCT and CPS?

I am the convenor of the Replanting andRejuvenation Programme in Thanchanode ward inTholikode panchayath. Almost 80% of the markedpalms have been cut and removed. Farmers havealso received the fertilizer supplied as part of thescheme.

Around ten persons from my Panchayath haveattended the Friends of Coconut Tree trainingprogramme of the Board. I am expecting that thisprogramme would solve the problem of the dearth ofclimbers to a certain extent. The name and contactdetails of the trained persons should be madeavailable in the Panchayath and Krishibhavan.

The new concept of the CPS will definitely createan awareness among the farmers on the advantagesof being organised under a common platform. Ifproduction to marketing can be done on a group basis,the cost of production can be brought downconsiderably. CPS can procure the products fromfarmer and can venture into processing and valueaddition. We are planning to form 10 CPSs inTholikode Panchayath. One is already registeredunder the Charitable Societies Act.

I am hopeful that the CPS would transform as atorch bearer for the farmers who can have a say ondetermining the price of his product.

Manoharan Nair who loves farming especiallycoconut farming is a good model for the present aswell as the next generation. The most strikingcharacteristic of Manoharan Nair is his willingnessto share his expertise and experience to others. Hebelieves that farming is a respectable profession. Hisadvocacy for the dwarf varieties of coconut is worthyto be appreciated.

Address: R Manoharan Nair,Divya, Thachankodu,Vinobo Nikethan PO, Thiruvanthapuram-695542, Tel:9495568619

*Technical Officer, CDB, Trivandrum

Manoharan Nair with his harvested prawns and tapioca

Theme Article


February 2012

Innovation brings insustainability

Leenamol MA*

K P Peter hailing from Mekkad, near InternationalAirport, Kochi is a retired Deputy Commissioner ofCommercial Taxes had set himself for becoming afarmer after his retirement. He planned well inadvance and bought 7 acres of land before 22 years.After his retirement he became a full time farmer.

Excerpts of the interview with K P Peter

I have 4 labourers in my 7 acre plot where I haveplanted coconut, nutmeg and arecanut. I am followingthe scientific management practices includingirrigation, fertilizer application and basin making.

Can you explain your method of fertilizerapplication?

Basin is made around the palm every year.Organic manures like cowdung and chemicalfertilizers like factomphose @2kg and potash @1kgare applied in the basin

What are your methods of irrigation?I am using the water from the four borewells and

a well in my property. With a motor, water is pumpedto a 70 feet length, 30 feet width and 24 feet depthtank. Water is supplied to all palms and nutmegthrough drip system. Irrigation is followed wholethroughout the summer season.

Which are the crops you are mainly rearing?Coconut and nutmeg are the main crops. Arecanut

is also there. I planted 360 coconut palm out of which25 are TxD hybrids. The TxD seedlings are procuredfrom the agriculture department. The tall seedlingsare brought from Kuttiyadi. TxD variety is givingbetter yield than other varieties. In my opinion,seedlings procured from government agencies areof better quality and give better yield.

Is the soil and climate condition of your areasuitable for farming?

When I bought this land before 22 years, this wasa barren land which was not suitable for rearing anycrop. No facility was available for irrigation. Once Istarted irrigating the land, it became best suited forfarming.

Which are the farming practices you are adoptingnow?

What are the innovations you are practicing infarming?

I have adopted certain innovative techniques inirrigation. The first challenge before me was thedifficulty in pumping water directly to the farm land.I overcame this challenge by using a compressionmotor. With the help of the compression motor, wateris pumped to the main tank. This water along withthe water from the well is used for the drip system.Even though filters and sprinklers are consideredessential component of drip system, I am not usingboth. A tap is connected at the end of the main pipefacing up. Every month, this tap will be opened andthe acquired mud along with water will be pumpedout. Thus through this automotive cleaning, water canbe made available in required quantities to coconutand nutmeg.

Which are the other innovative ideas you areundertaking?

Nutmeg as intercrop with coconut Peter in his garden

Theme Article


Earlier I had made a tank for making vermicompost. Later on it was felt difficult to carry thevermi compost to each plant. So now I am trying tomake vermi compost in the farm land itself. Smallchannels are made in between the garden and coirpith is deposited along with cowdung in differentlayers and is plastered with mud. Earth worms aredeposited inside by making small holes on these bunds.I am hopeful that this would be a successful attemptin manuring.

How do you control the pest and disease attack?Bud rot and rhinoceros beetle are seen in the

garden. Proper and timely control measures are takento prevent the pest and disease attack.

How do you make harvesting and how do youmarket your product?

Scarcity of labourers is a serious problem inharvesting. I am hopeful that the Friends of CoconutTree would solve this issue to a great extent. Theaverage productivity of my garden is 100-120 nuts.TxD varieties are yielding more than 200 nuts. I amgetting around 60000 nuts in an year. I am getting abetter income by processing coconut to copra. Huskand shell also bring additional income.

Is farming profitable to you?If we are undertaking farming seriously it can be

made profitable like any other business. The mostimportant thing to be kept in mind is that coconutshould not be cultivated as a single crop. Two or morecrops should be grown together. Coconut can be agood companion crop to many other crops.

Have you received the assistance from anygovernment agency?

I am keeping good relationship with the KrishiBhavan. I have insured coconut and banana.Department of agriculture is having various schemes.But these are all compensation only. In my opinion

there must be schemes for accelerating productionfor getting a better price for the products and alsofor encouraging product diversification. This wouldbe more beneficial for the farmers. Quality seedlingsshould also be locally made available.

What is your advice for the fellow farmers?Quality seedlings should be planted in the specified

distance wherein you can also rear intercrops. Qualityseedlings are usually disease resistant. The attack ofpests and diseases can be controlled if we maintainthe farm land clean. Nutmeg is the best intercrop ofcoconut. If a row of mahogany is planted around thegarden, the damage due to heavy wind can becontrolled. Farmers can make additional income fromthe wood too.

What is your opinion on the new initiatives ofthe Board like FOCT and CPS?

I am hopeful that with the FOCT training of theBoard, the dearth of climbers for harvesting andother plant protection measures can be solved. Iconsider the CPS as a first step of bringing togetherthe farmer under a common platform. This wouldensure the farmer a better and steady price for theirproduce. Last year I approached two societies toprocure the 14 quintal copra I had processed. Butnone of them were willing to procure it. I am hopefulthat with the formation of Coconut Producer’sSocieties, such issues would be solved.

The 19 year old coconut palms and the 9 year oldnutmeg trees in the garden keep this retired DeputyCommissioner busy, productive and closer to nature.He believes that land is a treasure house of sustainedincome as long as you are enthusiastic and innovative.

Address: K.P. Peter, Kachappilly, Mekkad P.O.,Kariyad, Athani, Ernakulam - 683589, Tel: 0484-2477806.

* Technical Officer, CDB, Kochi-11

Tank for storing water Drip system without sprinkler

Theme Article


February 2012

Awesome farming in migrated landK.S. Sebastian*

T.V.Thomas had migrated fromPala, Kottayam district and settledin Vettilapara in Malapuram districtway back in 1970. He bought 7½acres of land and settled there andstarted his farming. He was drivenwith the confidence of his youngage and the encouragement and

support given by his wife Elikutty.

Thomas started farming with rice, ginger, bananaand pepper. In the second year, he planted 50 coconutseedlings. He bought seedlings from a nearby privatenursery. Along with the seedlings he also bought 200seednuts and sown in his garden. He had planted125 seedlings from the sown nuts. Thomas plantedcoconut and arecanut in 3 acres and rubber in the

in a garden should be of the same age. But he is astrong advocate of intercropping. He has maintainedrecommended distance among his palms. He believesthat it is wise to have 50 coconut palms in an acre.Enough space will be available for intercropping andthe income from the intercrops will be more than thatof the main crop, he adds.

Harvesting is done four times in a year. He availsonly traditional climbers for harvesting who chargesRs.20/- per tree.

Thomas is rearing Holstein-Friesian breedof cattle. He is getting 30 liters of milk daily fromtwo of them. He is selling the milk @ Rs.30 per liter.Thomas is having a vermi compost unit of 4 meterlength, 1 meter width and 60 cm depth wherein all

balance 4 acres. In 1990 he planted 175 nutmeg asintercrop in his coconut garden. Now he is having175 coconut palms, 175 nutmeg, 1000 arecanut and500 rubber trees.

Thomas claims that he is getting good yield of150 nuts per palm per year. From some trees he isgetting even 200 nuts. No pest or disease is seen inhis garden.

Given good management practices, he is gettinga steady yield. Almost all the trees in his garden areof the same age. Thomas does not adopt new plantingin coconut. He is of the view that like rubber, all trees

the kitchen waste and garden waste are convertedinto compost. He is having a bio gas unit also.

He is applying bone meal and neem cake (bothtogether 5kg) for coconut by the end of May everyyear. Fertilizer application is done in September justbefore the monsoon. Urea, Phosphate and Potash isapplied @2kg per tree. A tank of 12 feet length, 8feet width and 6 feet depth having a capacity of 50,000liter is attached to the cattle shed for storing thecowdung solution. An HP motor is attached to thetank for pumping the cow dung solution to all thepalms. This is done in alternate 45 days. Thomas isadopting sprinkler system for irrigating his garden,

A view of the garden Nutmeg with coconut

Theme Article


the water source being a pond dug in his garden.

He is getting an income of around 2 lakhs fromcoconut. A modern copra dryer installed with thefinancial assistance of the Board makes the processingof copra easier for Thomas. He fetches a better pricefor his copra as this modern dryer adds to the qualityof copra. Thomas could get the advantages of theMSP in 2009-10 as he was having a copra dryer ofhis own.

Since the Coconut Producers Societies of theBoard are recognized as procuring agencies, he ishopeful that in future the farmers can definitely getthe benefits of MSP. As the President of theVettilapara CPS he is determined to make availablethe advantages of MSP to all the farmers. He ishopeful that if all the farmers are unitedly participatingin this process for procurement, it would definitelybe a big success.

Thomas is getting10 quintal nut meg in an yearwhich fetches him around 4 lakhs. From mace alonehe is getting Rs.3 lakhs. From the 30 quintal arecanuthe earns an income of Rs. 3 lakhs this year. From

the beetle vines, he is getting Rs.2000/- in 20 days.

Thomas is strictly following soil and waterconservation measures. He is not wasting a singledrop of rain water. Rain pits are made in the gardento conserve water. All the crops in Thomas’s gardenare getting direct sunlight. As he is following the multicropping pattern, he gets yield from one crop oranother throughout the year.

Thomas is getting the support and cooperation ofthe government agencies in his farming. He got thefinancial assistance for micro sprinkler, vermi compostunit and bio gas unit from government agencies.

Thomas disagrees with the apprehension that thepresent circumstance in Kerala is not suitable forsuccessful coconut farming. He believes that if only50 palms are planted in an acre and suitable intercropsare cultivated along with it, coconut farming is moreprofitable than any other farming. At least fourintercrops must be cultivated along with coconut.

Address: T.V. Thomas, Vettath, Vettilappara,Malappuram Dist., Kerala, Tel: 0483-2759118

* Asst. Marketing Officer, CDB, Kochi-11

The Holstein-Friesian breed cattle Cow dung solution stored for manuring

Beetle vine grown on arecanut The modern copra dryer

Theme Article


February 2012

Cashing in on Coconut:a success story

“The happiness and satisfaction which I get fromfarming is exceptional” says Sreekumar (37) fromPerumbalam in Alapuzha district in Kerala who hasbeen engaged in farming from his very young ageitself. Being a graduate, he prefers farming to anyother profession. He belongs to an agricultural familyand his father Aravindan is also a progressive farmer.His family includes his parents, wife Sheeba and 2daughters.

Sreekumar owns 7 acres of land, of which about5 acres is planted with coconut. He has about 400healthy bearing palms. The average nut productionis 100 nuts per palm. Sreekumar feels that every inchof the land should be fully utilized and there shouldbe an integration of all farming practices so thatfarming becomes successful. In addition to coconut,he cultivates rice, tapioca, nutmeg, cocoa, pepper andvegetables. Other activities include pisciculture and

vermicomposting. Sreekumar has now planted hybridcowpea and watermelon in his field.

Sreekumar follows traditional practices in hisfarm. Regular manuring and irrigation is carried out.The water from the fish culture is used for irrigatingthe palms. He has also adopted sprinkler irrigation inhis plots. Irrigation with Sprinkler for 10-15 minutesin alternate days is sufficient for the palms. Mulchingis done in the basins to avoid evapotranspiration.

Organic manure used by him includes cow dung,neem cake and vermicompost. The entirevermicompost needed for his crops are produced inhis organic manure units. The organic residues fromthe farm are entirely recycled and this is essentialfor integrated farming.

Sreekumar prefers to mix organic manures alongwith chemical fertilizers. Neem cake is mixed with

Resmi.D.S*

Coconut garden intercropped with banana Vermi compost unit

Theme Article


urea in a proportion of 1:6 and kept for 2 days beforeapplying in the basin.

Since Perumbalam is an island, the soil andclimate are quite beneficial for cultivation of crops.In his opinion, the incidence of pests and diseases ismuch less compared to other coconut growing areas.Regular monitoring of palms are carried out andspraying of chemical pesticides @ recommendeddoses is resorted to. For controlling eriophyid mitehe is spraying neem oil – garlic emulsion.

Sreekumar feels that farming would be profitableif it is planned and managed well. Intercroping andallied activities fetches him additional income ofRs.50,000 per year.

Coconuts from Perumbalam fetch a premium priceof Rs 8 per nut since these nuts are bigger in size andalso there is demand for Perumbalam coconut fromhotels in Ernakulam. Copra processing is done on asmall scale and coconut oil is extracted for domesticpurpose alone.

The bearing palms in his plot are the West CoastTall variety. Sreekumar himself identifies the motherpalms and selected seednuts are raised in his plot.He has never purchased seedlings from outside. Heclaims that his seedlings are of high quality and he isable to supply good quality seedlings to his fellowfarmers.

The intercrops mainly raised are banana;njalipoovan and palayankodan varieties. Sreekumarprefers to raise banana as intercrop as he feels thatit improves the yield of coconut. Further, a bananabunch of about 10 kg fetches about Rs 200. Othervegetables raised in his field includes cowpea, littlegourd, chilly, watermelon, pepper and various yamsincluding tapioca. He procures the seeds only fromKrishi Bhavans and Kerala Agriculture University.Tapioca was procured from the Central Tuber CropsResearch Institute, Thiruvanathapuram. He has also

planted nutmeg and cashew as perennial intercrops.All the intercrops are sold in the local markets inCherthala and Poothotta.

Sreekumar is an active participant of ATMA andhas developed demonstration plots for Sugar Babyvariety water melon and hybrid cowpea. He is activein the programmes organized by Krishibhavan andPanchayat. He has been awarded the Best Farmerby the Perumbalam Panchayat. Sreekumar is keepinga close association with Coconut Development Boardsince long. He is a beneficiary of the clusterprogramme implemented in Perumbalam. He is alsothe Secretary of Perumbalam Farmers club.

Sreekumar advices coconut farmers to select goodquality seedlings and to follow regular monitoring ofpalms for better yield. Negligence would lead to theloss of palms. Integrated farming should be adoptedin order to balance the fluctuation in prices. He opinesthat value addition and diversification should also beattempted. After identifying the potential of tendercoconut water market, he is planning to set up a tendercoconut parlour in Cherthala. He believes that thevalue addition done by individual farmers cannot beprofitable and is looking forward for the CoconutProducer’s Societies which would offer good commonplatform for the farmers who are otherwise scattered.He is aware of the Friends of Coconut Tree trainingprogramme of the Board. Four youngsters havecompleted FOCT training from Perumbalampanchayath and he is happy to avail their services.

In his opinion, it is high time that coconut farmersshould be organized in the pattern of rubber growersand he expects that formation of CPS would be agolden opportunity for reaping the best out of coconutfarming.

Address: Sreekumar K.P., Kooppillil House,Perumbalam, Cherthala - 688570, Tel: 9446122740

Technical Officer, CDB, Kochi - 11

The intercrops

Theme Article


February 2012

A technocrat whoopted for a

different path

This is the success story of a man who thoughtdifferent, acted different and reaped fortunes. TomyGeorge had before him many attractive avenueswhen he graduated from Triuvandrum EngineeringCollege in 1972 with flying colours. But he chosethe path of his father and entered into the field ofagriculture. Today he is the owner of 10 acres ofland growing coconut, rubber, nutmeg, pepper,arecanut and cocoa along with mangosten, rumbutanetc. This coconut garden is in the midst of the rubberplantations in the district of Kottayam and that addsto its beauty.

Tomy George has over 120 coconut palms in hisgarden mainly comprising of West Coast Tall andMalayan Yellow Dwarf varieties. He has a fewhybrids too, which he has bought from the Universityand Krishi Bhavan. The plantation is comparatively

Deepthi Nair. S.*

his garden. The drip is fitted with a micro sprinklerat the top and so loss of water is totally avoided.Irrigation is provided using drip only during summermonths twice a day. Approximately 100 liters of wateris supplied per palm per day. He has a pond which isthe source of water for irrigation. Fertigation is donethrough the drip using an imported water solublefertilizer called ‘Nitrofosco’.

The common problem of labour shortage has notaffected the farm of Tomy, since he has 10 casuallabourers. 80% of his produce is sold at the farmlevel itself at an average rate of Rs.9-10/- per nut.The smaller nuts are graded and separated andconverted to copra. He has availed assistance fromthe Board and installed 2 copra dryers which are usedfor drying. Copra is converted to coconut oil which issold as retail.

a younger one. The palms are inthe age group of 25-30 and bearingon an average 150 nuts/palm/year.He has installed a vermi compostunit with the support of the Boardand has been practicing mixedfarming. Tomy adopts a systematicapproach towards crop culture. Heuses organic manures, neem cake,bone meal and fish meal as nutrientsources. Apart from this he alsoapplies 1½–2kg of chemicalfertilizers in 2-3 splits.

Tomy is a progressive farmerwho has installed drip irrigation in

Contd on page 17

West coast tall variety

Theme Article


Hard work: the key to success

Smt. Gangakunjuis a coconut farmerresiding at ward 13 ofClappana Panchayathin Ochira block inQuilon district. Hertwo and a half acregreen and beautifulcoconut garden on the

Jayanath R* & Elizabeth Thomas**

garden may get affected with pest and diseases asthe neighbouring farmers are not treating agricultureseriously. Seven years ago her palms were affectedby the eriophyid mite. She immediately applied theneem oil- garlic emulsion to prevent the spread ofthe attack.

Gangakunju is a beneficiary of the Replanting andRejuvenation programme of the Board. In the firststage of the implementation of the project, 12 of herroot wilt affected palms were cut and removed. Thetrunk of the disease affected palms were burnt in thegarden itself. She received the financial assistanceof Rs.5000 from the Board. She also receivedchemical fertilizer and lime from the Board. She ishappy that this timely assistance of the Board broughtdown her expenditure. She has planted goodseedlings, which she herself had developed in hergarden instead of the removed palms.

Earlier Gangakunju used to harvest the palms eighttimes in an year. Now because of the dearth ofclimbers and the high wages they are demanding shehas brought down the harvesting cycles to five. Sheis selling her coconut to the merchants of the nearbyKarunagapally market. She is getting on an averageRs.10 per nut. Recently she got Rs. 12.60 per nut.She has kept apart five, forty year old palms forcollecting the seed nuts. Last year she supplied 150seed nuts to the nearby Krishi Bhavan @ Rs.17/-per nut.

She is having more than 50 arecanut trees too inher garden. Tuber crops like elephant footyam,colocasia, lesser yam, sweet tapioca, ginger andturmeric are also grown as intercrops.

She claims that njalipoovan variety of bananagrows well under the shade of coconut. She opinesthat growing banana is profitable as it requires lessattention and is fetching better price too.

Gangakunju is cultivating various vegetables in hergarden. She is selling the vegetables in the nearbymarket. Last year she got Rs.24 per kg for elephant

side of back water attracts the attention of all passesby. Gangakunju is interested in farming from her earlychildhood itself as she was born and brought up in anagriculture family.

She has taken farming as a serious professionsince the last 25 years. Her confidence that hard workwill definitely pave dividend has been motivating herto continue in the field. She has developed her farminto a model farm wherein she is cultivating 110 WestCoast tall varieties, arecanut, banana and tuber crops.

All the coconut palms of Gangakunju are healthy.She gets an average yield of 60-80 nuts per palm andeven 100 nuts from some of her palms. 50 of herpalms are in the yielding stage and around 50 areyoung seedlings. Gangakunju strictly follows thescientific management practices. She applieschemical fertilizers in June- July, September- Octoberand in February, urea and super phosphate@1kg eachand muriate of potash @2kg is applied to the palms.She has been practicing the application of chemicalfertilizer since long. Along with the fertilizers mulchingis also done with green leaves and coconut husk.Later on manures like cowdung and bone meal arealso applied.

She considers irrigation as another important inputto be adopted in coconut garden. She is irrigating thepalms twice daily during summer months using thewater from the well in her own compound.

As the palms in her garden are having less attackof pests and diseases, she doesn’t require pesticideapplication often. She is worried as to whether her

Gangakunju with her husband

Theme Article


February 2012

foot yam and Rs.30/- per kg for colocasia.Gangakunju is planting her cash crops in a mannerthat the period of harvest will coincide with the marketdemand for those crops such that it results to betterprice offer.

She says that the replanting and rejuvenationprogramme of the Board was in fact a relief to thefarmers. These types of government programmesshould always be welcomed. She is of the view thatgovernment agencies are showing more interest inagriculture now.

Gangakunju is planning to be a member of theCoconut Producers’ Society. She is considering thisas a last resort to the farmers. She firmly believesthat farmers must have a common platform for

having a say on their produces. Gangakunju is therecipient of the best farmer award of the local KrishiBhavan. She was also honoured by the Quilon districtbank.

Gangakunju gets the strong support andencouragement of her family which consists of herhusband Thrivikraman a retired employee ofRailways, her uncle Kuttappan Vaidyan who is 95now and her son Kannan who is an engineer.Gangakunju is determined and confident that hardwork, no doubt, is the key to success.

Address: Gangakunju, Kunnelputhenveedu,Klappanavadakku, Klappana P.O., Ochira, KollamTel: 0476-2897196

* Technical Officer, Horticulture Assistant, CDB, Kochi-11

100 nuts from a palmCoconut and banana

The garden of Tomy gives the appearance of asmall forest. He has practiced intercropping in hisgarden with maximum utilization of space and sunlight.Nutmeg is the major intercrop along with cocoa,arecanut and pepper. There are around 150 nutmegtrees which yield approximately 1500-2000 nuts peryear. The sale of nutmeg fruits and mace is done atfield level itself. He gets a farm price of Rs.300/- for

nutmeg seed and Rs.1200-1500/- for dried mace. Healso develops budded seedlings of nutmeg withincreased resistance since he uses rootstocks of wildnutmeg which also has strong root system.

Shri.Tomy is a very active farmer and is inconstant liaison with institutions involved in thedevelopment of agriculture. He participates inseminars and workshops and has also representedthe farmers on behalf of the state in delegations andconferences. He is of the strong opinion that withgood management and high yielding varieties, coconutcultivation will be highly profitable. He insists thatappropriate measures have to be undertaken forensuring the supply of good quality hybrid seedlingsto farmers.

Address: Tomy George, Kallivayalil House,Poovarani P.O., Pala, Kottayam, Tel: 94470252224.

* Marketing Officer, CDB, Kochi-11

Continuation from page 15

The author with Tomy George

Theme Article


With an indepth passion for farmingSasikumar C*

In the state of Kerala where farmers are facingthe problem of poor yield and low income, here is thesuccess story of a young businessman who with hisincessant passion for farming earns better prospectsfrom his nine acre land. He adopts innovative farmtechniques and optimum resource utilization. SajeevAntony (43) is a businessman who is running twoayurvedic medicine manufacturing units in Thrissurdistrict in Kerala. But one thing you immediately noticeupon meeting Sajeev Antony is his passion foragriculture. Along with his innate love and passionfor agriculture, he is following the footsteps of hisgrand father who was a paddy farmer. At an earlyage he learnt the rudiments of farming by being ahelper of his grand father.

Because of his passion for agriculture he thoughtof doing something innovative instead of continuingas a traditional paddy farmer in the nine acreancestral property. Despite being a businessmen, heopted to be a farmer and manager of his own farm.

Sajeev knows that special care is required inselecting appropriate coconut varieties that are ideallysuited to the agro-climatic conditions of his area. Heplanted Kuttyadi along with DxT coconut varieties inhis garden. He is also having 30 Malayan YellowDwarf and Chowgat Orange Dwarf varieties. Now

he is having more than 450 high yielding coconut treesin his garden and is getting on an average 130-140nut per year per palm from his garden. Because ofthe better quality of the nut, he fetches better pricefor his produce. Nuts are procured directly from hisfarm. Caesalpinia sapan (Pathimukham) is used forlive fencing in the garden

Sajeev is aware of the importance of irrigation incoconut. Sajeev knows that adopting good irrigationmanagement strategy will definitely increase the yield.As water is available in plenty from the nearby canal,he is doing the basin irrigation. The basin is formedby reverse tilling.

As the land was a filled in area, the soil was notthat fertile. He planted elephant foot yam as intercropamong coconut and 99% of his palms started yieldingfrom the 4th year. While preparing the pits for theyam, he used to dump cow dung and composted coirpith in large quantities. Thus soil around the treesshowed increased nutrient availability. Sajeev knowsthat restoring to soil health by reverting to non-chemical agriculture has assumed significance inattaining sustainability in production. Sajeev is a strongsupporter of organic farming. In his search for ecofriendly and farmer friendly alternate systems offarming, Sajeev is attracted by Subhash Palekar’s

Zero Budget Natural Farmingwhich is increasingly becomingpopular among the farmingcommunity. He too has startedgrowing native breed of cattlewhich he believes is otherwiseeven an integral part of farmingfamilies.

Farming is in fact an infatuationto Sajeev. His every day begins inhis garden. He is known for hisindustrious nature of working in thefarm before sunrise. Before beingbusy with his medicinemanufacturing unit, he spendsmore than three hours in hisgarden. His farm is fullyCoconut with intercrops

Theme Article


February 2012

intercropped with various intercrops. He is having350 bearing nutmegs out of which 200 is giving goodyield.

Sajeev is growing many fruit crops. There aremore than 100 mangostenes in his garden whichincludes 30 yielding trees. Sajeev is cultivating manyvarieties of banana like Robusta, Nendran,Chembuvan, Kadali, Poovan etc. Apart from this he

is also cultivating Rambutan, West Indian cherry,Mango, Sapota, Custard apple, Grapes, Orange, anddifferent types of guava. Various varieties of medicinalcrops are also grown in Sajeev’s garden. Sajeev ishaving a poultry farm wherein he is growing varioustypes of fancy chicken breeds, ducks and guinea.He is having pisciculture attached to his farm wherehe grows more than a dozen varieties.

Sajeev is getting an yearly income of Rs. 5 lakhsfrom coconut, Rs. 4 lakhs from banana, Rs. 3 lakhsfrom other seasonal crops and Rs. 50,000 fromnutmeg. Sajeev is selling his vegetables and otherseasonal crops to VFPCK.

Sajeev is a beneficiary of the Replanting and

Rejuvenation Programme of the Board. He hasreceived the financial assistance for cutting andremoval of disease advanced senile palms. He hasalso received the fertilizers supplied by the Board aspart of this scheme. Sajeev has heard of the Friendsof Coconut Tree training programme of the Boardand is hopeful that the programme would resolve theissue of the dearth of climbers to a greater extent.

The mental satisfaction he gets from cultivating alarge number of crops accelerates his enthusiasm tocontinue in farming. Moreover farming has neverbeen a loss to him. His farm has served as ademonstration centre for coconut based farmingsystem. Krishi Bhavan, Kuzhur has approached himto make his farm as a model farm. He affirms thatdedication will definitely prove good result. Sajeevhas to his credit a family which is very supportive.He finds support and inspiration from his wife, apediatrician and their two kids.

Address:Sajeev Antony, Aynikkal House, KundoorPO, Mala, Thrissur-680 734, Phone: 9447407069.


A high yielding coconut palm Banana, the best companion crop

Fancy chicken breedsWith water in plenty

Theme Article


Even though the state of Kerala is known forcoconut tree, Idukki district is famous for thecardamom estates. Luka, a farmer from Kodikulam,Thodupuzha proves that there are farmers in Idukkidistrict who prefers to grow coconut also.

The main crops in Luka’s four acre land arecoconut and rubber. He is also cultivating intercropslike pepper, arecanut and cocoa. Fodder crops arealso grown in the boundaries. A pond is attached tohis garden which is full with carp, cutla, rohu andsilver varieties of fish. Luka claims that these varietiesare having good demand in the market. Luka is nowexploring to honey bee keeping too.

Luka is well aware of the environmental and healthproblems created by the excess usage of chemicalfertilizers. Hence he emphasizes the importance oforganic farming. He strictly and exclusively follows

Luka is following only environment friendlyfarming practices. Cow dung and cow urine are usedas organic manures. He is also using ash, lime andbone meal. He affirms that if the cow dung of nativevariety cow is used as manure, the nuts will havebetter weight. If the cow is not native breed, it mustbe fed fodder grass more instead of cattle feed. Lukais keeping his cattle shed and its surroundings veryclean.

Excerpts of the interview with Shri.Luka

How have you come to agriculture?

This farm land is an ancestral property. I am activein the field since 55 years. Earlier coconut was themain crop. The palms of Thodupuzha were famousfor its best yield. The nuts are having higher copracontent also.

Deepthi. R.*

Which are the main crops you are cultivatingnow?

Coconut and rubber are the main crops.Pepper,cocoa and arecanut are the intercrops. Foddercrops and rice are also grown.

Is the soil and agro climatic condition of thisarea suitable for farming?

My land is in a sloppy area. Rubber and coconut

organic farming in his garden. Since the last 15 years,he is a recognized organic farmer of Indocert.

Once when Shri.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, formerpresident of India visited Thodupuzha, he expressedhis interest to have food which was exclusivelydeveloped with organic farming. Luka is so proudthat the rice cultivated by him was taken for giving toShri.Abdul Kalam.

In the path of organic farming

High yielding palms in Luka’s farm Rich with intercrops

Theme Article


February 2012

are grown here. In the low lying land, paddy iscultivated. The soil mixed with organic residues makesthe soil more fertile and crops are grown well here.

Which are the main package of practices youare adopting in your garden?

I am careful in providing each crop with differentscientific management practices. I have avoided thechemical fertilizers fully. Neem cake, cow dung andgreen leaves are the main organic manures. Chemicalfertilizers may boost the yield all on a sudden, but itwill not help in the permanent yield.

His farming practices are rich with the utilizationof different types of biocontrol agents likePseudomonas and Trichoderma.

How do you control the pest and disease attackin your garden?

My garden is not much attacked by pests anddiseases. Attack of the rhinoceros beetle is noticedin some trees recently. This pest attack is controlledwith the beetle hook and the top three leaf axils ofthe palm are filled with neem cake sand mixture.

What are the advantages of organic farming?

When we shift from chemical fertilizer to organicmanures, the yield would be less for the next two-three years. But later on the yield will come up. Iusually get tapioca weighing 25-30kg and bananabunches of 18-20 kg.

What is your opinion on the commonly heardsaying that coconut farming is not profitable?

Coconut should not be cultivated as a mono crop.Farming can be definitely made profitable if you arecultivating some intercrops too and scientific

management practices are followed. When the priceof coconut slid down, the intercrops will help tobalance the income. Most of my palms are yieldingmore than 100 nuts per year. This yield can beaccelerated further if we are taking one or twobunches for tender nut purpose.

Have you received any assistance from thegovernmental agencies?

Yes, I am a beneficiary of the integrated coconutdevelopment programme of the Board.

Have you heard about the new initiation of theBoard like FOCT and CPS?

I have heard about both FOCT and CPS throughthe media. The FOCT trainees of Idukki district arevisiting my farm to see and study the farmingoperation. I am hopeful that CPS would offer acommon platform for the farmers.

Lucka being a progressive coconut farmer expectsa better future for the farming community throughthe Coconut Producer’s Societies. Adoption of afarming system which combines all theentrepreneurial possibilities will create a better statusfor the farmers. The Societies will reach thegrassroots and will make the farming communitystronger.

Luka is not aiming at high profit from farming.He is more health conscious of the next generation.He is concentrating in using the gift of nature wisely.

Address: E L Luka, Thottupattu, Kodikulam PO,Thodupuzha, Idukki, Phone: 0486 2264646

*Technical Officer, CDB, Kochi - 11

The Friends of Coconut Tree team in Lukas gardenFodder Grass

Theme Article


A golden investment from hard earned money

“What you have done for your country is moreimportant than what your country has done for you”,is a famous saying of John F Kennedy, the formerPresident of America. Shri. George Plakattil, aprogressive farmer from Kannur district in Keralabelieves that instead of finding out what the countryhas done for agriculture, try to find out what you havedone for agriculture.

George Plakattil a national athlete during hisacademic days was an instructor at IIT Mumbai andlater on was working in Germany for 11 years. Itwas with this hard earned money that he bought 17acres of land in Kannur district. He planted 340kuttiyadi varieties in 6 acre. He purchased landsubsequently from the income he made from coconutand various other inter crops. Now he possesses morethan 600 coconut trees. He is getting more than 60000coconuts an year and his productivity is 150 nuts pertree per year. George was daring enough to removehis rubber and plant coconut. He also planted variousintercrops including pepper and vanilla. When theprice of vanilla was crashed, he wisely opted to plantnutmeg in between coconut. He is confident that ifwe are planting intercrops and also making valueadded coconut products, coconut farming is profitable

than any other crop. His eldest son Robin Georgewho has completed his B.Sc Chemistry is also withhis father helping him in his farming.

Excerpts of the interview with Shri. GeorgePlakkattil.

How have you been to and how long since youhave been in agriculture.

I am cultivating coconut since my return fromGermany 23 years back. I have been in coconutcultivation and presently I have more than 600coconut trees which includes Kuttiyadi and Komadanvarieties.

K.M. Vijayan*

George with his son

Theme Article


February 2012

Which are the crops you are rearing?

I have more than 600 coconut trees, 250 nutmeg,more than 1500 arecanut, rubber, vanilla, banana andvarious tuber crops.

What are the management practices you areadopting?

I am adopting 100% organic farming. Cow dungand other agriculture waste are put in the bio gasplant and the slurry is used as organic manure.

Gliricidia is grown as cover crop. Moisture isconserved by burying dried coconut leaves and coirpith in the basin around the palms as mulch. Soil isconserved by making sand walls around the garden.

Which are the methods of irrigation andmanuring you are adopting in your garden?

Irrigation is made through the drip system. Onlyfarmyard manure, compost and green leaves are usedfor manuring.

Which are the plant protection measures youare adopting in your garden?

I am not using any pesticides in my garden. Forthe arecanut trees, bordeaux mixture is sprayed oncein a year.

Is farming profitable to you?

Of course it is. Otherwise I wouldn’t have quittedmy job and become a full time farmer

What are your suggestions for making coconutfarming profitable?

Proper soil conservation and irrigation must beensured. The farmer himself must work hard withthe labourers and must create a good relationship withthe labourers. Plant only 50-60 coconut and inter cropsin an acre.

Have you ever benefited by Governmentagencies?

Yes, I have been financially assisted by theHorticulture Mission in 2011 for drip irrigation.

Do you have any suggestions for making theapproach of such agencies more farmer friendly?

Government agencies should come out to the fieldto identify the real farmer and must extend theassistance to them

Are you aware about the new initiatives of theCoconut Development Board like the Friendsof Coconut Tree and the Coconut ProducersSociety?

I have heard about the training provided by theBoard in coconut climbing and other plant protectionoperations. Many persons from our locality haveattended the training. I am sure this initiative of theBoard would definitely benefit the farmers.

Address: George Plakkattil, Plakkattu House,Cheekadu PO, Manakadavu (Via), Kannur- 670 571.Phone: 0460- 2286183, 9446168052

*Field Officer, CDB, Kochi-11

Mulching in the basin Nutmeg gives better income

Mulching for nutmeg

Theme Article


other crops he is rearing.

The soil of Sibi’s field is red and black and he isstrictly following the scientific management practices.Both organic and inorganic fertilizers are applied forcoconut as well as for the intercrops. Cow dung,coconut mixture, bone meal and neem cake areapplied as organic manure. A biogas plant is attachedto his farm from whichslurry is pumped to thefield through channels.This is done duringevery month and oncein a year chemicalfertilizer mixed withthe slurry is pumped tothe crops. Accordingto him, this practicesolves labour problemand the uniformapplication of slurry tothe palm helps inincreasing the

A Self Made FarmerMridula K*

Sibi Francis (41) is a resident of Kattiparapanchayat of Thamarassery in Kozhikode district. Hehas inherited 10 acre farm from his father. Duringhis childhood, Sibi used to help his father in plantingthe seedlings and other related works for makingpocket money. Since then he is assisting his fatheralong with his studies. Sibi is grateful to his familyespecially his father who has teached him the basiclessons of agriculture. All the coconut trees plantedby his father 60 years ago, are removed now. Sibihas replanted all of them with latest varieties ofcoconut. Sibi is confident that if there is a will thereis a way. Agriculture should be treated as a business.Latest technological advancements need to be utilizedfor introducing mechanized farming. It will definitelymake farming profitable.

Sibi’s main crop is coconut. He is having 400coconut palms out of which 350 are local west coasttall variety and the balance are 50 DxT variety whichhe himself has raised. The productivity per palm is150 nuts /tree per year and his total production ismore than 65,000 nuts per year. Arecanut (MohitNagar variety), Black pepper and Rambutan are the Sibi in his farm

Theme Article


February 2012

production as it is properly mixed with the soil andreaches to the system.

Sibi is adopting the sprinkler system for irrigation.He is having a pond with sufficient quantity of waterwhich makes irrigation possible all throughout theyear. Mulching is done with dry leaves. Harvestingis done six times in a year.

Sibi is selling the nuts in the local market. EarlierSibi used to convert coconut in to copra, but now dueto labour problems he is selling the nuts directly to oilmills and local market after meeting his personalrequirements. He opines that selling tender coconutfetches more income compared to mature coconut,as the rate of coconut fluctuates always. Due tolabour problem, he has not yet started the sale oftender nuts, but he is hopeful that the trained Friend’sof Coconut Tree would be helpful in future. Some ofhis palms were infected with root wilt disease.Immediately on noticing the same, he has cut andremoved the palms.

Besides coconut, Sibi is growing intercrops likearecanut, black pepper, tapioca, nutmeg, ginger,turmeric, banana (Tissue culture and Poovan) andvegetables. He is making an income of more thanRs.1.50 lakh from the intercrops. He also growsfodder grass for his milch animals and earns anamount of Rs. 50,000/.

Sibi is also having pisciculture, poultry, goatary andbee keeping. He installed 10 honey boxes last year inhis farm. The pollination of his coconut palms hasimproved after the installation of honey bee boxes.

Sibi Francis is the recipient of the best farmeraward of his local Panchayat in 2010-11. He maintains

a very cordial relation with the Krishi Bhavan andthe Coconut Development Board. He has availedsubsidy from Krishi Bhavan under the StateHorticulture Mission for banana intercropping. Hewas the convenor of the cluster programmeimplemented by the Board during 2009-10 and 2010-11. In his opinion, the cluster programme of the Boardencourages the farmers to follow systematiccultivation practices. Intercropping was also practicedwhich makes coconut cultivation profitable.

Sibi Francis’s advice to other coconut farmers arethat multiple cropping and mixed cropping has to beadopted for making coconut cultivation profitable.Good quality seedlings especially dwarf and hybridsare to be planted for getting good yield. More dwarfvarieties must be planted for harvesting tender nut.Sibi does not allow his palms to grow after 40 years.He will cut and remove them and will replant goodquality dwarf and hybrid seedlings.

Sibi appreciates the new initiatives of the Boardviz. Friends of Coconut Tree and Coconut Producer’sSociety. He is inspirational in conducting the FoCTtraining programme at Krishi Bhavan at Kattipara.He is happy that the dearth of coconut climbers aresolved to a greater extent now and the traditionalclimbers have also became regular. He is hopefulthat the CPSs would help the farmers to sell theirproducts with better price and will also encourageproduct diversification and value addition.

Contact Address: Sibi Francis, Ittiyeppara (H),Kattipara (P.O), Thamarassery (Via), Kozhikode673573, Phone: 9446732460


Bio gas plantBanana and ginger as intercrops

Theme Article


Kasaragod district in Kerala isfamous for healthy and high yieldingpalms. According to 2010-11 statistics,coconut is cultivated in 52249 hectre inthis district with a production 445.72million nuts. The productivity of the

district is 8531 nuts per hectare.

Good Fertilizer application, irrigation, availabilityof quality seedlings and the technical and financialassistance from the government agencies wereinstrumental for this good prospect. The untiringefforts of the people of this area who loves the soiland farming adds to this. Thus Kasaragod is figuredas one of the best agri districts of Kerala.

Shri.Damodaran Nair (58) of Periya Village inHosdurg Taluk in Kasaragod district is a dedicatedmodel farmer. Nair’s is an agriculture family whichsolely depends on the income from farming for theirsustenance. He was born in an agricultural familyand hence keeps a deep attachment with farmingsince his childhood itself.

Earlier he was cultivating rice and cucumber. Nowhe has converted into coconut farming and iscultivating 128 west coast tall and 2 hybrid varietiesin his two acre farm. He is getting around 100-200nuts from a tree. His average per tree productivity is130 nuts per tree. He is selling 15000 nuts in an year.

Nair is adopting scientific management practices.Semi circle basins are made around the palm andchemical fertilizers and organic manures are appliedduring every year. With the onset of monsoon, 4kglime, 25kg goat excreta, 20kg green leaves and 3kgbone meal are also applied. In August, 1kg potashand 1.5kg factomphos is applied. He is spending nearlyRs.180/- for a single palm for the fertilizer and manureapplication

Irrigation is another important practice on whichNair has no compromise. He is having a borewell inhis garden. Water is pumped from the tank and theirrigation is done through hose to each palm @ 300litres.

V G Chandrashekaran*

A Kasaragodan success storyin coconut farming

Harvesting is done thrice in a year. The climbersare charging Rs.15/-for a tree. Sale of nuts has neverbeen a problem for Nair. He is getting a high pricefor his nut as he gets 17.5 – 18.0kg copra from 100nuts. This is when his neighbours are getting only13kg from 100 nuts. He is selling his coconut as rawnuts and last year he got upto Rs.10/- per nut.

Nair is also cultivating a variety of intercrops.Banana is the major intercrop. Turmeric andvegetables are also grown. He opines that 35 feetdistance must be maintained between the palms forcultivating intercrops. Eventhough he couldn’t followthis earlier, he is practicing it now.

Nair is keeping a good relationship with the relatedgovernment agencies. He was a beneficiary of thecluster programme of the Board and is a recipient offertilizer and other benefits. He is of the opinion thatthese agencies must reach out to the farmers. Healso believes that an awareness creation on agricultureamong the young generation is essential for ensuringfood security.

Nair doesn’t have any bad experience inagriculture except for the price crash observed duringthe last few years. He firmly believes that nativevarieties can yield best results.

Address: A.Damodaran Nair, Pookalam House,Periya,Kasargod.Phone: 9961183545

Statistical Officer, CDB, Kochi - 11

A view of the garden

Theme Article


February 2012

Mohanraj is a young hardworking farmer fromVadakarapathy in Palakkad district, Kerala. Mohanrajhad to turn to agriculture with the death of his fatherwho was a traditional farmer. Now Mohanraj hastaken farming as a serious profession

Coconut is the main crop in his garden. He ishaving 260 palms out of which 50 are young seedlings.He is getting an average of 150 nuts per palm in ayear.

Basin is made around the palm and he is applying1kg urea, 1kg super phosphate and 2kg muriate ofpotash thrice in a year. Cow dung is also applied asorganic manure. Mulching is done with farm wasteand green leaves. Irrigation is done with drip systemand the water from the well in his own property is

George Peter*

Mohanraj, moves forward with determination

Mohanraj is the cluster convenor of theThenampathy coconut cluster. He has availed theassistance of the Board as part of the integratedcoconut development programme. He has avaited thefinancial assistance of the Krishi Bhavan for installingthe drip system in his garden. Mohanraj is hopefulthat the new initiatives of the Board viz. The Friendsof Coconut Tree and the Coconut Producer’sSocieties would add a positive energy to the coconutfarmers.

Address: Mohanraj, Thenampathikulam, Ozlapathy.P.O., Chittoor, Palakkad. Ph: 9746932831.

*Field Officer, CDB, Kochi-11

used for irrigation.

Harvesting is done at 45 days interval. Nuts aresold as raw nuts and merchants are collecting thenuts from his field. He is selling tender coconuts alsowhich fetches him better income.

There is not much incidence of pest and diseasein his garden. At the time of each harvest, crownswill be cleaned and the neem cake sand mixture isfilled in the leaf axils. Boreadeux mixture is sprayedas a precaution against fungal attacks.

Tissue culture banana and coffee are cultivatedas intercrop in Mohanraj’s garden. He is also rearing3 cows. Mohanraj is having the support of his familywhich consists of his mother, wife and son.

Mohanraj in his garden Coffee as intercrop

Banana and coconut

Theme Article


D. Ramesh, Sukkampatty village,Salem district of Tamil Nadu is a civilengineer turned to a model farmer.His coconut farm is situated inSukkampatty village inAyodhyapattinam block of Salemdistrict, in the foot hills of Yercaud (hill

station) Tamil Nadu. His well maintained 4.00 ha.garden with uniformly high yielding coconut palmswith cocoa as intercrop declares that coconut famingis a profitable enterprise. According to him it is easyto maintain coconut compared to any other annualcrops. He started farming in the year 2000 in the

Cropping pattern and technology adopted

The cropping pattern adopted by him is mainlycoconut-cocoa farming system. East coast tall varietyof 625 palms aged 20 are planted in 8 x 8 m spacingin his 4 ha. area. In order to increase the incomeform the coconut garden cocoa hybrid plants wereplanted at 11 ft x 11 ft spacing, one row in betweentwo rows of coconut and one plant at the middle ofeach row of coconut. Thus 1440 cocoa plants wereplanted in 2.5 ha in 2008 in collaboration with CadburyIndia Ltd. and Department of Agriculture Tamil Nadu.As the soil is not suited for cultivating cocoa in the

A Civil Engineer turned Coconut FarmerR. Jnanadevan*

four hectare coconut garden inherited from his father,Duraisamy. His wife Dr. P.S.Kavitha, an AssistantProfessor in Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sandhiyur, Salemis also with him to assist in farming. This ideal coupleis certainly a role model for today’s young generationwho are running away from agriculture. They loveand respect farming as a viable profession. Althoughengaged as a civil engineer he had an intrinsic interestin farming from childhood onwards which he hastranslated into a practice since the last ten years. Igot a chance to visit his garden with a group offarmers in connection with a farmers trainingprogramme on cocoa organised by the Directorateof Cashewnut and Cocoa Development incollaboration with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

balance 1.5 ha. he is growing turmeric as inter crop.He has availed the financial assistance of the NationalHorticulture Mission @ Rs.20000/- ha. for developingcocoa plantation in his coconut garden.

Integrated nutrient management practicesrecommended by Tamil Nadu Agriculture Universityhave been followed by Ramesh with maximum useof organic wastes. The organic waste available incoconut garden is dried and incorporated in to thesoil by recycling. The nutrient schedule adopted isorganic waste- 30 Kg, vermicompost- 5 kg, Urea-0.75 Kg, Muriate of Potash- 1.50 kg, Single SuperPhosphate- 1.50kg and Micronutrient mixture (iron,zinc, borax, copper, magnesium and manganese) -100 gm per palm per year. Besides he is also applying

Mechanised cultivation practicesIntercropped with cocoa

Theme Article


February 2012

poultry manure @ 5 kg per palm in every alternateyears.

Cost reduction methods adopted

Ramesh is using innovative methods for reducingthe cost of coconut cultivation. One of the costreduction and labour saving methods adopted by himis the use of power weeder for weeding andapplication of manure and fertilizer. He is not openingbasin around the palm. Soil around the coconut palmis raked and is just mixed with fertilizer and manuresand the top soil using the power weeder. Removal ofweeds in the inter space by using Scythe or brushcutter is another innovative method used by the farmerto reduce the cost of production. The cost of bushcutter is Rs.25000.The Department of Agriculture,Tamil Nadu has given 50% subsidy for purchasingthese machineries which help to minimize the laborcost considerably.

Drip system for irrigation

He irrigates coconut garden throughout the yearthrough drip system of irrigation and maintainsmoisture content in soil, so that roots will get constantsupply of water. Drip system has been installed in 4ha of coconut garden. Drip irrigation is found veryeffective in coconut gardens. He irrigates the plantsthroughout year @ 45 liters of water per palm perday during dry period. Four such emitters are installedone meter away from the trunk.

Inter cropping with cocoa for additional income.

According to him coconut cocoa cropping systemis more beneficial for both the crops. Coconut treesare given more care because of the maintenance ofcocoa. Cocoa gets shade and performs well undercoconut garden. Forty percent of cocoa plants comesto bearing in the 3rd year. Now they are in 4th yearand nearly 70% of the plants have started bearing.In addition to extra returns, coconut is well maintainedbecause of cocoa where compulsory pruning andfertilizer application, plant protection is done in theinitial years of its establishment without which wecannot get any returns. Cocoa cultivation controlsweed growth also. Fallen leaves of cocoa are a goodsource of manure to coconut and also soil moisture isconserved. The pods are used as animal feed forvermin composting. Coconut cocoa farming systemis really a boon to the coconut growers. Unutilized

Sl. Cost of production /yr/tree (Rs.) Coconut Cocoa

1 Fertilizer and manure 50.00 10.00

2 Labour /maintenance 37.00 20.00

3 Plant protection cost 5.00 5.00

4 Harvesting and curing cost 28.00 15.00

Total 120.00 45.00

inter spaces are well utilized, weed growth iscontrolled and thus cocoa and coconut are goodcompanion/ compatible crop.

Cost of management practices and yieldobtained and marketing

Ramesh is harvesting coconut once in 50 days (7harvests). Traditional coconut climbers are availablein the area. Average yield of his coconut palms is140 nuts per tree per year, @ 20 nuts per tree perharvest. Cocoa is marketed through open market ofCadbury India Ltd as dry beans after primaryprocessing. Cocoa is getting good price and thepresent market price in Salem is Rs.150 per dry bean.The cost adoption of scientific management practicesfor coconut and cocoa and income obtained is shown

below:

Coconut yield -140 nuts /yr/palmIncome from one coconut tree - Rs.630/-Expected Cocoa yield - 2.0 kg per tree /yearAdditional income from cocoa-Rs.300/-

There is no severe attack of pest and diseases inhis garden. Rhinoceros beetle and leaf blight forcoconut and mealy bug and fruit rot of cocoa are thepest and diseases noticed in his garden. Every yearplant protection measures are followed and thesepests are controlled effectively.

Recognitions received

The highly profitable coconut cocoa farmingsystem adopted by this innovative farmer has receivedwider recognition. His success story has receivedexcellent coverage in the visual media (Makkal TV)in Tamil Nadu. Regular visit to his farm by progressivefarmers and officers of the Horticulture departmentitself is a major recognition of farming skilldemonstrated by him.

Address: Shri. D. Ramesh, (Mobile: 09847065335)

*Asst. Director (on deputation), CDB, Kochi-11

Theme Article


Shri. Om Prakash, Addl. Commissioner, NHM inaugurating the tender coconut parlour.Shri. M. Thomas Mathew, CCDO, CDB and Dr. A.K. Nandi, Secretary are seen

India is hosting the 45th Coco-tech meeting of the Asian andPacific Coconut Community(APCC) during 2nd–6th July 2012.

APCC is an inter governmen-tal organisation head quartered atJakartha, Indonesia with the man-date of integrated coconut devel-opment of the member countries.APCC is at present having 17member countries and India is oneof the founder members. COCO-TECH is the technical arm of theAPCC and it is held once in twoyears where the member coun-tries present latest technologicaladvancements in respectivecountries, hold discussion and de-cisions are taken for the futuredevelopment of the industry. Co-cotech serves as an open forumfor researchers, processors, trad-

ers and policy makers to meet andexchange information relating tococonut industry. The APCC ses-sion of Plenipotentiary in its annu-al meetings approves the themeand venue of the COCOTECHmeeting for the succeeding year.

India has so far hosted threeSessions ie., 4th APCC during 12-16 April 1971 at New Delhi, 25th

session during 28th Nov– 2nd Dec1998 at Cochin and 38th sessionduring 5–8 Nov 2001 at Bangalore.

The theme of the 45th sessionof the Cocotech meeting is Inclu-sive growth and sustainable devel-opment of the coconut industry.This theme will cover a compre-hensive range of technical sessionson the success stories of modelcoconut farmers and small to me-dium scale coconut processors and

entrepreneurs. New technologiesand R& D updates on coconutbased farming systems, productdiversification and coconutprocessing including the medicalfindings on the health attributesof coconut oil and virgin coconutoil and the developments in mar-keting coconut products will bediscussed. The strategies on howto mitigate, adopt and cope withclimate change will also be dis-cussed in the meeting.

India was also the host coun-try for three Cocotech meetings.Viz. 4th Cocotech during 12-16April 1971 (along with 4th APCCsession), 25th Cocotech during23rd Nov – 2nd Dec 1998 atCochin and 37th Cocotech during24–28 July 2000.

Government of India hosts 45th Cocotech session

Tender coconut parlour in Infopark, KochiAs part of the Coconut

Development Board’s initiative tomarket tender coconut water

parlour was inaugurated atInfopark, Kochi on 2nd February2012 by Shri. Om Prakash,Additional Commissioner, NationalHorticultural Mission. Freshtender coconuts will be directlysupplied to the parlour by theCoconut Producers Society.Through the tender coconutparlours the Board hopes toprovide the fresh produce of thefarms directly to the consumer.The initial target for the parlour atInfopark is 1,000 coconuts a day.Similar parlours will be opened inother cities, important institutions,hospitals and tourist spots acrossthe country. The Board plans toopen 1,000 such parlours acrossKerala and 5,000 throughout thecountry.

across the country, Board isplanning to set up 5000 TenderCoconut Parlours. The first

News


February 2012

MSP fixed for raw coconutsGovernment of India has fixed

the MSP for dehusked coconut atRs.1400 per quintal for 2012season. The MSP for FAQ copraof milling copra is at Rs. 5100 perquintal and that of FAQ of Ballcopra at Rs.5350 per quintal.NAFED will continue to act as thecentral nodal agency to undertakeprice support operations of coprafor 2012 season.

Government of Kerala haspermitted the CoconutDevelopment Board recognizedCoconut Producers Societies,coconut clusters, Kudumbasreeand Janasree units having adequateinfrastructure for production ofcopra to procure raw coconut atGovernment of India declared ratesof Rs. 1400 per quintal fromfarmers coming under their areaof operation and make FAQ gradecopra and supply to the state levelmarketing agencies of National

Agricultural Co-operativeMarketing Federation of IndiaLimited (NAFED).

Kerala KerakarshakaSahakrana Federation (Kerafed)and Kerala State MarketingFederation Limited (Marketfed)have been designated as the statelevel marketing agencies ofNAFED for procurement of copraduring the 2012 season in Kerala.

The national level meeting onPrice Support Scheme (PSS)operation for Milling Copra held atthe head quarter of CoconutDevelopment Board at Kochi on2nd February 2012 had requestedthe Government of Kerala andTamil Nadu to notify designatedagencies for procurement ofmilling copra from their states tocommence the PSS operation atthe earliest. The meeting alsodecided to request the Governmentof Kerala and Tamil Nadu to

permit Coconut ProducersSocieties registered with the Boardto procure coconut / copra fromtheir members and to supply copradirectly to state level agencies. Themeeting chalked out the action planand calendar of operation for thesuccessful PSS operation forcurrent procurement season 2012.

Shri. M. Thomas Mathew,CCDO, CDB chaired the meeting.Shri. V.P. Sasindran, Chairman andShri. P.J. Sivakumar, Director,Kerafed; Shri. R.G. Nair, BranchManager, NAFED, Kozhikode;Shri. N. Guruswamy, BranchManager, Nafed, Chennai; Shri.Babu, Additional Secretary, PricesBoard; Shri. K. Balasubramanian,Special Officer, Tanfed; Dr. K.Muralidharan, Director, CDB; Dr.A.K. Nandi, Secretary, CDB,senior officials of State AgriculturalDepartment and the Boardparticipated in the discussion.

Flamingo FestivalCoconut Development Board,

State Centre, Hyderabadparticipated in Flamingo Festival2012 held at, Sullurpet, NelloreDistrict on 7th and 8th of January2012. Shri Anam RamanarayanaReddy, Minister for Finance,Planning, Small Savings and StateLotteries and Shri Vatti VasantKumar, Minister for Tourism,Culture, Archaeology andMuseums, Government of AndhraPradesh jointly inaugurated theexhibition and the CDB stall. Boththe Ministers appreciated theinitiatives taken up by the Boardfor the welfare of coconutcultivation and industry in Andhra

Pradesh. Dr.Parasa Ratnam,MLA, Sullurpet, Shri B. Sreedhar,IAS, District Collector, ShriRamana Kumar, IPS,Superintendent of Police and otherVIPs visited the CDB stall. Theexhibition featured various private/public sector companies and state/central government organizations.Board displayed informativeposters, publications and valueadded coconut products. Leaflets,pamphlets and booklets related tococonut were also distributed tothe visitors. The event wasorganized by DistrictAdministration, Government ofAndhra Pradesh, Nellore District.

Shri Anam Ramanarayana Reddy andShri Vatti Vasant Kumar ministers in the

CDB stall.

News


Horti Food Fest 2012Coconut Development Board, State Centre, West

Bengal participated in 3rd Horti Food Fest 2012 atNetaji Indoor , Kolkotta from 16th to 18th January2012. Shri. Janab Abu Hena, Minister in Charge,Department of Food Processing Industries,Horticulture and Fisheries, Government of WestBengal inaugurated the fair. Shri. Nure AlamChowdhary, Minister for Animal ResourcesDevelopment, Shri. Arup Roy, Minister forAgriculture Marketing, Dr. Mans Ranjan Bhunia,Minister for Irrigation, Waterways, Micro and SmallScale enterprises and textiles, Shri. RabindranathaBhattacharya, Minister for Agriculture and Shri.

SundarbonKrishi Mela

Coconut Development Board,State Centre, West Bengalparticipated in Sundarbon KrishiMela at Sundarbon from 20th to29th December 2011. Shri.Samaresh Banerji, Justice,Calcutta High Court inauguratedthe Mela. Shri. Monohar Tirkey,MP and Shri. Subhas NaskarMLA were present during theoccasion. Board displayed coconutproducts, handicrafts andinformative posters. The exhibitionwas organised by Milan TirthaSociety.

Agri Horti ExhibitionCoconut Development

Board participated in Agri. Horti.Exhibition from 21st to 23rd

January 2012 at MahatmaMandir International Complex,Gandhinagar , Gujarat. Shri. RaviBaryon, President, Israeli IndiaChamber of Commerceinaugurated the fair. Dr. K.Sridharan Vice Chancellor,S.K.D. Agriculture University,

Gujarat, ATMA, NHM, A&H,APMC and KVK Gandhinagar.Display cum sale of variousvalue added coconut productswere held in Board’s stall. Thefocus of Agri. Horti. Exhibitionwas on Seeds, Food Processing,Farm Machinery andEquipments, Agro Chemicals,Agri. Logistics, Retail andDistribution sectors.

A view of the Board’s stall

Gujarat and Dr. R. A. Sherasia,state Nodal officer ATMA werepresent on the occasion. The fairwas organized by Agro House ,Gandhinagar, Gujarat and wassupported by Department ofAgriculture, Government of

A number of enquiries werealso received for various valueadded coconut products lkecoconut water, coconut oil,virgin coconut oil, desiccatedcoconut powder etc.

Rakesh Kacker, Secretary,Ministry of Food processingIndustries were present on theoccasion. Tender coconut vendingmachine manufactured by FruitHut, Hyderabad was displayed inthe Board’s stall.

The fair was jointly organisedby the Department of FoodProcessing Industries andHorticulture, Government of WestBengal in association with theIndian Chamber of Commerce andIndustry.

A view of the Board’s stall

News


February 2012

Shri. Om Prakash IES, Addl. Commissioner(NHM) reviewed the schemes of the Board

Shri. Om Prakash, AdditionalCommissioner, NationalHorticulture Mission visited thehead quarter of the CoconutDevelopment Board on 1st

February 2012 and helddiscussions with Shri. M. ThomasMathew, CCDO, CDB and Dr.A.K. Nandi, Secretary, CDB onthe present implementation statusof various schemes of the Board.He inaugurated the Tendercoconut parlour at Infopark,Kakkanad, Kochi on 2nd

February 2012. The tendercoconut parlour is an initiative ofthe Pappanchalla CoconutProducers’ Society,Muthalamada, Palakkadpromoted by CDB under themarket promotion scheme.

Shri. Om Prakash, along withCDB officials visitedKulasekharapuram, in Kollamdistrict for reviewing the status ofthe replanting and rejuvenation ofcoconut gardens at Kollam districtimplemented by the Board as a

pilot project. He interacted withthe convener and members of theclusters, panchayat president andsecretary to ascertain theimplementation status of thescheme. Shri. OM Prakshexpressed his satisfaction on theimplementation of the replantingand rejuvenation scheme of theBoard. He suggested to extendthe scheme in the 12th five yearplan to the four southern districtsof Kerala viz., Alappuzha,Ernakulam, Kottayam andPathanamthitta where the rootwiltdisease of coconut is mostlyprevalent.

Shri. Om Prakash furthervisited Socio Economic UnitFoundation, Sarvodayapuram,Alappuzha where the 13th batchof Friends of coconut tree(FOCT) training of Alapuzhadistrict was being held wherein23 trainees including 6 womenattended the training. He hadinteraction with Smt. Kochurani,Exe Director, SEUF and also with

the trainees.

On 2nd February, Shri. OmPrakash visited units assisted bythe Board under the TechnologyMission on Coconut viz. Indo-German Carbons Ltd, atBinanipuram, Kerala, GreenIndus Group at Kodungalloor andAMS Group of Companies,Pattambi.

He also visited the LODPcluster areas at Kozhipathy villageof Palakkad Dist and hadinteractions with the convener andmembers of the clusters. Heexpressed his satisfaction on theimplementation of the scheme bythe Board. On 3rd February, Shri.Om Prakash visited the clusterarea of the LODP project atPollachi and had interaction withmore than 100 farmers of the area.Shri. Om Prakash also visitedcoconut units assisted by theBoard viz. M/s. Sakthi CocoProducts, Pollachi and SuperCoco Company, Pollachi.

Field visit -Replanting and Rejuvenation Programme,KSPuram, Kollam

Visit at coconut oil industry, Pattambi

News


Shri K.R. Kuttikrishnan, Deputy Director interacting with the students from Krishnaveni TalentSchool, Siddipet at Science Expo 2012

Science Expo 2012 Coconut Development Board,State Centre, Hyderabadparticipated in Science Expo 2012from 19th and 20th January 2012 atRimmanaguda, Gajwel Mandal,Medak District.

Shri T. Narasa Reddy, MLA,Gajwel inaugurated the exhibition.Board displayed informativeposters, publications, value addedcoconut products and handicrafts.Leaflets, pamphlets and bookletsrelated to coconut were distributedto the visitors. Students fromdifferent schools and colleges,local farmers and entrepreneursvisited the Expo.

Fruit and Vegetable Show 2012Coconut Development Board,

State Centre, Hyderabadparticipated in the XIII Flower,Fruit and Vegetable Show 2012from 6th to 8th of January 2012 atYanam organized by Departmentof Agriculture, Government. ofPuducherry.

Shri Jawahar P, IAS, RegionalAdministrator at RegionalAdministration, Government ofPuducherry, Yanam inauguratedthe exhibition. Central and StateGovernment Institutions, Research

Institutes and private organisationstook part in the show.

Board showcased differentcoconut products, bye-productsand handicrafts in the stall. Variousvalue added coconut products

Students from Junior College, Government of Puducherry in Board’s pavilion.

including coconut based food andbeverage products, handicraftsmade of coconut wood, husk andshell, technical charts, posters, flexibanners and publications of Boardwere displayed in the stall.

TANFED to commencecopra procurement in

Tamil NaduTANFED has been notified as thestate level designated marketingagency in Tamil Nadu to undertakecopra procurement under pricesupport scheme for the 2012 sea-son as per the order issued by thegovernment of Tamil Nadu throughthe Food and Consumer ProtectionDepartment. AccordinglyTANFED will procure milling co-pra at the rate of Rs. 5100 per quin-tal (Rs.51/- per Kg.) and ball co-pra at the rate of Rs.5350/- perquintal (Rs.53.50/- per Kg.) underthe price support scheme for theyear 2012.

RetiredShri. V

S a r v o t h a m aPrabu, Assistantretired from theservice of theCoconut D e ve l o p m e n tBoard on 31st

January 2012. He has rendered 30years of service in the Board. Hejoined the Board in October 1982.

Shri. P PAnadan, UDCretired from theservice of theCoconut D e ve l o p m e n tBoard on 31st

January 2012.He has ren-

dered 30 years of service in theBoard. He joined the Board inApril 1982.

News


February 2012

Board invites Projects for large scale production anddistribution of quality planting materials

Coconut Development Boardproposes to launch a researchproject in collaboration withvarious educational institutionshaving Post Graduate Degreeprogrammes in science preferablyBotany, Bio-technology etc. forproduction of hybrid coconutseedlings under TechnologyMission on Coconut programme.The objective of the collaborativeresearch scheme is large scaleproduction of dwarf and hybridseedlings (5 lakhs root wilt diseasetolerant and high yieldingseedlings) through hybridization

techniques. In Kerala at presentthe average requirement ofseedlings estimated is around 30lakhs per year for new planting,gap filling and replanting.

Colleges and Post Graduatedepartments in Science preferablyin Botany, Bio-technology etchaving qualified manpower andadequate infrastructure facilitiesfor carrying out research canforward proposals to the Board forassistance under the scheme. Theproject will be implemented on50:50 basis by the Board and the

concerned Departments /Institutions. Detailed proposal withcostings for mother palm selection,training on hybridization techniquesand raising of nursery etc. can besupported by the Board, so that50,000 seedlings per year can beproduced by each college from thethird year onwards. A detailedproject report incorporatingobjective, methodology, technicalcontent, manpower, costing, projectperiod, outcome and share of theBoard/ Institution should besubmitted by the institution.

Board’s pavilion bagged the bestdisplay award in NERAMAC-2011

Board’s pavilion bagged thebest display award inNERAMAC- 2012 Exhibition from27th to 28th January 2012, heldAndheri (E), Mumbai Maha-rashtra. Board received the awardfrom Shri. P.W. Khongjee,Parliamentary Secretary, TourismGovernment of Meghalaya.P.K.Pattanaik, IAS, JointSecretary, DoNER inaugurated thefair. Mr.Bijay Kumar, IAS, MD,National Horticulture Board,Dr.N.C.Saha, Director, IndianInstitute of Packaging, Mumbai,Mr. P.W. Khongjee, ParliamentarySecretary, Tourism, Govt. ofMeghalaya and Shri. S.Bhattachryajee MD, NERAMACwere present during the occasion.The fair was organised by North

Eastern Regional AgricultureMarketing Corporation Ltd.,Government of India Enterprises,Guwahati, Assam and the Ministryof Tourism, Government ofMeghalaya. Board displayedvarious value added coconutproducts like packed tendercoconut water, coconut oil,coconut milk powder, virgincoconut oil, handicrafts etc.

Board receiving the Award from Shri.P.W. Khongjee, Parliamentary Secretary,

Tourism Government of Meghalaya

The Coconut Development

Board, Regional Office, Bangalore

participated in the State level 32nd

Krishimela - 2012 held from 19th

to 21st January 2012 at Haveri,

Karnataka. Shri Jairam Ramesh,

Minister for Rural Development,

Government of India, New Delhi

inaugurated the mela. Dr. Thontada

Siddalinga Mahaswamy, Gadag,

Shri. C.M. Udhasi, Minister for

PWD, Government of Karnataka

and Shri. Jadageesh Shettar, Min-

ister for Rural Development, Gov-

ernment of Karnataka were

present on the occasion. Board

showcased different varieties of

coconut bunches and value added

products. Around five lakh farm-

ers visited the Krishimela.

Krishimela -2012

News


TKVK, Davanagere spoke on therecent advances in pest and dis-ease management in coconut gar-den, Shri Vijayakumar Hallikeri,Deputy Director, CDB., RO., Ban-galore made a presentation onvalue addition in coconut and Tech-nology Mission on Coconut andShri Yogananda Bhandya, SADHmade a presentation on theschemes of the Department ofHorticulture.

The meeting was attended by300 progressive farmers, entrepre-neurs and departmental officersfrom various institutes participatedin the programme.

Awareness Programme onCoconut Production Technology

An awareness programme onCoconut production Technologywith special reference to pest anddisease management and valueaddition in coconut was conductedon 12th January 2012 atTaralabalu Krishi Vignana Kendra,Davanagere in connection with thecelebration of Foundation Day ofCoconut Development Board. Theprogramme was organised in as-sociation with the Department ofHorticulture.

Shri. Guthi Jambunath, IAS.,Chief Executive Officer, Z P,Davangere inaugurated theprogramme In his inaugural ad-dress he requested the Board totake necessary initiation for mar-keting the produce so that the co-conut growers get benefited byway of getting better price. Smt.Netravathi, Member, CDB deliv-ered the presidential address.

Dr. T.N. Devaraju, ProgrammeCo-ordinator, TKVK., Davanageremade a special address wherein herequested the farmers to adopt in-tercropping in coconut to get bet-ter income from the unit area. Dr.Kadire Gowda, Deputy Director ofHorticulture, Davanagere alsospoke on the occasion and spokeon the Schemes of the NationalHorticulture Mission implementedin Davanagere District. Dr.Basavarajappa, Retired AdditionalDirector of Horticulture spoke onthe occasion representing thefarmers community.

Shri Vijayakumar Hallikeri,Deputy Director, CDB in his wel-come address spoke on theschemes and programmes of the

Board. He requested the farmersto adopt scientific package of prac-tices to get more benefit in increas-ing the production and productiv-ity and controlling pest and dis-eases. Shri Channaveerappa,SADH., Davanagere proposed avote of thanks.

In the technical session thatfollowed, Shri. M.G. BasavanaGowda, Subject Matter Specialist,Horticulture, TKVK, Davanagerespoke on the recent advances incoconut cultivation practices, Dr.N. Prasanna Kumar, Subject Mat-ter Specialist, Plant Protection

A view of the Dignitaries (from L-R) Smt. K.R.Nethravathi, Board Member, Mr.Vijayakumar Hallikeri, DD,CDB,Mr.Guthi Jambunath, IAS., CEO,ZP,Davanagere,

Dr. Basavarajappa, Retired Additional Director of Horticulture, Mr. KadireGowda, Dy., Director of Horti., Davanagere & Dr. T.N.Devaraju, Programme Co-

ordinator, TKVK., Davanagere.

Republic Day Horticulture Show- 2012The Coconut Development

Board, Regional Office, Bangaloreparticipated in the Republic DayHorticulture Show - 2012 heldfrom 20th to 29th January 2012 atLalbagh, Bangalore organized bythe Mysore Horticultural Society,Lalbagh, Bangalore in associationwith the Department ofHorticulture, Government ofKarnataka. The Horticulture show

was inaugurated by Chief MinisterD.V. Sadananda Gowda. Dr.D.Hemachandra Sagar, MLA,Smt. Sharadamma, BBMP Mayor,Smt. Vandita Sharma. IAS,Principal Secretary (Horticulture)and Smt. Hemalatha, IAS, Directorof Horticulture were present on theoccasion. Board showcaseddifferent varieties of coconutbunches and value added products.

News


February 2012

Monthly operations in coconut gardensMarch

Andaman & Nicobar Islands:Continue watering the nursery.Start collection of seednuts fromthe mother palms. Store them forabout one month before sowing.Prepare land for new plantation byremoving weeds and cutting downunwanted plants.

Andhra Pradesh: Search forrhinoceros beetles on the crownsof the palms with beetle hook andkill the beetles. Fill the top threeleaf axils of the palm with amixture of 25g sevidol 8G with250g fine sand. Spray the manurepits with 0.01 per cent carbaryl.Continue irrigation. Collectseednuts from selected motherpalms. Release parasitoids if theattack of black headed cater pillaris noticed, particularly in coastalbelt. If the palms are infected byscale insects, spray the palms with0.01 per cent malathion or fenthion.

Assam: Dig isolation trenches ofone metre depth and 30 cm widthtwo metres away from the baseof the Ganoderma affected palms.Cut down and destroy the affectedtrunk of dead palms in the garden.If planting pits have not been dugin January or February dig themduring this month and fill up withtop soil+sand+cow dung manuremixture up to 60 cm fortransplanting. After one or two

showers, bring the soil to a fine tiltharound the palms. Start preparingthe nursery beds for sowing ofseednuts.

Bihar/Jharkhand: Irrigate thepalms. Apply plant protectionchemicals to avoid attack of pestsand diseases. Repair the irrigationchannels. Prepare the land and digpits of 1m x 1m x 1m size at aspacing of 8m x 8m. Replant/transplant the seedlings in low-lying areas where flood water is aproblem. Adopt surface planting ifwater table is high. Check for theincidence of termite attack,especially in young palms. For themanagement of termite, adequatesoil moisture is a prerequisite.Drench the nursery with 0.05 percent chlorpyriphos twice at 20-25days interval. Fill the top three leafaxils of the palms with 25g Sevidol8G mixed with 250g fine sand toprevent rhinoceros beetle/red palmweevil attack.

Chhattisgarh: Irrigate the palms,nursery and inter crops in thegarden. Search the palms for the .Remove weeds from the garden.Plough the land and mulch thebasins. Plant summer vegetablesand other intercrops. Apply vermicompost to coconut palms.

Karnataka: Irrigate the garden.Give 70-80 litres of water per palm

per day under drip irrigation. Plantsuitable intercrops under irrigatedconditions. Check the attack ofrhinoceros beetle. Clean thecrowns of the palm and fill top 3leaf axils of the palms with amixture of 25g sevidol with 200 gmfine sand. Fill the leaf axils withtwo naphthalene balls covered withfine sand at 45 days interval. Treatmanure pits and other possiblebreeding sites of rhinoceros beetlewith carbaryl (0.1 per cent) whichis to be repeated in every threemonths. Spray 1 per cent bordeauxmixture against leaf spot. Adoptintegrated control measuresagainst the attack of leaf eatingcaterpillar. Release parasitoids ofsuitable stage immediately afternoticing the infestation andsubsequently three times atfortnightly intervals. For tall plantsand large orchards a combinationof biological and chemical methodsare suggested. If the attack of miteis noticed, spray neem oilformulation containing 0.1 per centAzadirachtin / Neemazal@ 4 ml/litre of water. The spray dropletsare to be directed towards thesecond to fifth immature bunches.In order to improve the nutrientstatus of the soil grow greenmanure crops like daincha in thebasins of the palms and incorporateinto the soil within 45 days. Apply

Management


organic manure @ 25 kg/ tree/year. Provide neem cake @5 kg /tree/year.

K e r a l a / L a k s h a d w e e p:Continue irrigation. Continuecollection of seednuts fromselected mother palms and storethem in a cool dry place. Apply onefourth of the fertilizers in irrigatedgardens. If the attack of mite isnoticed, spray neem oil formulationcontaining 0.1 per centAzadirachtin / Neemazal@ 4 ml/litre of water. The spray dropletsare to be directed towards thesecond to fifth immature bunches.

Maharashtra/Goa/Gujarat:Undertake hoeing in the garden.Remove the grasses and shrubsand burn them. Check for attackof pests/diseases and takeappropriate steps to control them.Ensure irrigation. Start collectionof seednuts for raising seedlings.

Odisha: Irrigate the palms.Remove weeds from the garden.Mulch with dry coconut leaves andcoirpith for moisture conservation.Collect seednuts from selectedmother palms and store them incool and dry place. Spray thepalms affected by leaf eatingblack-headed caterpillar with0.02% dichlorvos or malathion 0.05per cent. Repeat the spraying afteran interval of 15 days if the attackis severe. Before spraying, cutdown the affected leaves and burnthem to prevent further infestation.Alternatively liberate parasites ofblack-headed caterpillar on theaffected palms after 15 days of

spraying. Palms on which theparasites have been releasedshould not be sprayed withinsecticides as it will kill theparasites also. If the attack of miteis noticed, spray neem oilformulation containing 0.1 per centAzadirachtin / Neemazal@ 4 ml/litre of water. The spray dropletsare to be directed towards thesecond to fifth immature bunches.

Tamil Nadu/Puducherry: If theattack of mite is noticed, sprayneem oil formulation containing 0.1per cent Azadirachtin / Neemazal@4 ml/ litre of water. The spraydroplets are to be directed towardsthe second to fifth immaturebunches. Spraying has to be doneespecially on the perianth region ofbuttons and affected nuts.Wherever spraying is difficult rootfeeding may be done withAzadiractin 50% formulation 7.5ml in 7.5 ml water. Continueirrigation. Treat manure pits andother possible breeding sites ofRhinoceros beetle with 0.01 percent carbaryl to control grubs.Continue collection of seednutsfrom selected mother palms andstore them in a cool dry place.

Tripura: Irrigation should becontinued and the frequency ofirrigation should be based on thequantum of rainfall received.Regular irrigation will improve theproduction of bearing plants.

West Bengal: Continue irrigation.Apply 200 litres of water in basintwice a week depending uponmoisture retention capacity of the

soil. If drip irrigation is adopted give70 to 80 litres of water per palmper day. Provide proper shade tonewly young seedlings. Mulch thebasins with coconut husk, greenleaves, dried coconut leaves in 3to 4 layers or spread coir pith insix-inch layer for moistureconservation. Harvest mature nuts.Collect the seednuts from theselected mother palms, which areregular bearers and have an annualyield of hundred nuts and above.Store the collected seednuts inshade. Check for the attack ofrhinoceros beetle (triangularcuttings in new spindle leaves).Hook out the beetles from affectedpalms. Clean the crowns of thepalms and fill the top most axils ofthe palms with 25g sevidol 8G with250g fine sand at 45 days interval.Treat manure pits once every threemonths with carbaryl (0.1 %). Ifbud rot is noticed remove all theaffected portions. Treat the woundwith Bordeaux paste or paste ofBlitox. Spray the crown with Blitox@ 5g per litre of water or DithaneM 45 @ 2 g per litre of water. Tomanage eriophyid mite infestation,spray the crowns with 0.1 per centAzadiractin (Neemazal) @ 4.0 mlper litre of water. The spraydroplets are to be directed towardsthe second to fifth immaturebunches. Alternately, root feedingwith 7.5 ml of Neemazal (5%)dissolved in 7.5 ml of water canalso be done. Plough theinterspaces and destroy weeds.Grow summer vegetables andflowers like marigold as intercrop.

Management


February 2012

Market Review December 2011Highlights

³ The price of milling copra, ball copra and coconut oil expresseda downward trend at all the major markets during the month underreport.

³ The international price of coconut oil expressed a downwardtrend during the month under report. The domestic price ofcoconut oil at Kochi market was marginally higher than that ofthe international price.

COCONUT OILThe price of coconut oil quoted

at all the major marketing centresin the country expressed adownward trend during the monthunder review. The weekly averageprices at Kochi market variedbetween Rs.7125 and Rs.7625 perquintal. The monthly average priceof Rs.7406 per quintal was about7 percent lower than the price inDecember 2011 and about 18percent lower when comparedwith the price in January 2011.

The price of coconut oil atAlappuzha market also moved intune with the price behavior atKochi market. The weeklyaverage prices ranged fromRs.7100 to Rs.7600 per quintal.

The weekly average prices ofcoconut oil at Kozhikode market,varied between Rs.7300 andRs.7692 per quintal. The monthlyaverage price of Rs.7546 perquintal was about 5 percent lower

than the price in December 2011and about 18 percent lower thanthat of the corresponding monthlast year.

Harvesting season in Keralahas already started from the firstweek of January 2012 and willstart in February in Tamil Naduwhich will cool up prices. Demandfor copra and coconut oil will alsofall as the festive season was overin January.

The monthly average price ofcoconut oil at Kochi marketprojected by the First CommoditiesExchange of India Ltd. for themonth of January 2012, duringOctober 2011 November 2011 andDecember 2011 were Rs.8077,Rs.8390 and Rs.7928 respectively,while the average spot price ruledat Kochi was Rs.7406 per quintal.

The Futures Prices quoted forthe next two months of Februaryand March during the currentmonth by the First CommoditiesExchange of India were atRs.7499 and Rs.7638 respectively.

MILLING COPRAThe weekly average prices of

FAQ copra at Kochi marketranged from Rs.4913 to Rs.5175per quintal. The monthly averageprice of Rs.5061 per quintal wasabout 7 percent lower than that ofthe previous month and about 18percent lower than that of thecorresponding month last year. Theweekly average prices of Rasicopra at Alappuzha market variedbetween Rs.4850 and Rs.5308 perquintal. The monthly average priceof Rs.5025 for “Office Pass”copra at Kozhikode market wasabout 6 percent lower whencompared with the price inDecember 2011 and about 18percent lower when comparedwith the price in January 2011.

The weekly average prices ofmilling copra at Ambajipeta marketin Andhra Predesh ranged fromRs.4300 to Rs.4333 per quintal.

EDIBLE COPRAThe weekly average prices of

Rajapur copra at Kozhikodemarket varied between Rs.6675and Rs.7475 per quintal. Themonthly average price of Rs.7019per quintal was lower by 9 percentcompared to the price in previousmonth and marginally higher thanthat of the corresponding monthlast year.

The weekly average prices ofball copra at Kozhikode marketvaried between Rs.5983 andRs.6683 per quintal.

The weekly prices of ball copraat APMC market Tiptur, inKarnataka varied between 6115and 6280 per quintal. The monthlyaverage price of Rs.6347 perquintal in December 2011 slid toRs.6208 in January 2012.

The weekly average prices ofball copra at Bangalore marketranged from 6407 to 6500 perquintal. The weekly average priceof Ball copra at Arsikere APMC

Price behaviour of coconut oil during January 2012

7542

7625

7333

7125

7600 7600

7517

7100

7633

7692

7558

7300

7000

7100

7200

7300

7400

7500

7600

7700

7800

7-1-12 14-1-12 21-1-12 28-1-12

Kochi Alappuzha Kozhikode

Market Review


market, varied between Rs.6108and 6283 per quintal.

DRY COCONUTThe monthly average price of

Rs.6421 per thousand nuts for drycoconut at Kozhikode market wasmarginally lower than that of theprevious month and about 11percent higher than that of thecorresponding month last year.

COCONUTThe monthly average price of

Rs.7375 per thousand nuts fordehusked coconut at Nedumangadmarket was marginally lower thanthat of the previous month andabout 26 percent lower than thatof the corresponding month lastyear.

The monthly average price ofpartially dehusked coconut atArsikere APMC market in January2012 improved to Rs.6688 perthousand nuts from Rs.6267 inDecember 2011.

The weekly average prices ofpartially dehusked coconut atBangalore APMC market rangedfrom Rs.6583 to Rs.7000 perthousand nuts.

The monthly average price ofpartially dehusked coconut Grade-1 quality at Mangalore APMCmarket in January 2012 slid toRs.10592 from Rs.10133 inDecember 2011. The weeklyaverage prices ranged from

Rs.10575 to Rs.10608 per thousandnuts.

TENDER COCONUTThe weekly average prices of

tender coconut at Kochi marketranged from Rs.18 to Rs.20 pernut.

INTERNATIONAL PRICEThe monthly average price of

US $1454 per MT for coconut oilin Europe (C.I.F. Rotterdam) forthe month of January 2012 wasmarginally lower when comparedwith the price in previous monthand lower by about 30 percentcompared to that of thecorresponding month last year. Themonthly average price of US$ 865per MT for copra was marginally

Price behaviour of milling copra - January 2012

Market PriceCoconut Oil Milling Copra Edible Ball Copra Dry Coconut Partially dehusked

Copra coconut coconutRs. / Qtl. Rs. / 1000 nuts

Date Kochi Alappu- Kozhi- Kochi Alappu Kozhi- Karkala Kozhi- Kozhi- Tiptur Bang- Arsi- Kozhi- Nedum- Arsi- Bang- Mang-zha kode (FAQ) zha kode kode kode lore kere kode angad kere lore alore

(Rasi (GradeCopra) -1)

7-1-12 7542 7600 7633 5142 5171 5104 4333 7475 6683 6280 6500 6283 6417 8000 6250 65831060814-1-12 7625 7600 7692 5175 5308 5171 4300 7025 6317 6214 6500 6250 6617 7500 6500 66831060021-1-12 7333 7517 7558 5017 5075 4950 4300 6900 6200 6224 6500 6250 6550 7000 7000 69331058328-1-12 7125 7100 7300 4913 4850 4875 4300 6675 5983 6115 6407 6108 6100 7000 7000 700010575Average 7965 7997 7982 5437 5456 5357 4593 7678 6878 6347 6320 6318 6433 7400 6267 686710133

Source: Kochi: Cochin Oil Merchants Association and Chamber of Commerce, Kochi - 2, Kozhikode: The Mathrubhumi dailyAlapuzha: The Malayala Manorama daily, Arsikere : APMC, ArsikerePrice quoted for office pass copra at Kozhikode and Rasi copra at Alappuzha markets. NT : No transaction

Prepared by P.O. Baby, CDB, Kochi-11

lower than that of the previousmonth and about 36 percent lowerthan that of the correspondingmonth last year. The domesticprice of US$1500 for coconut oilat Kochi market was marginallylower than that of the internationalprice.

The domestic price of coconutoil during the month of January2012, in Philippines was US$1400per MT and in Indonesia; the pricewas US$1380 per MT. Theinternational price of Palm oil,Palm kernel oil and Soybean oilwere US$1055, US$1340 and US$915 per MT respectively, while theprice of coconut oil in internationalmarket was US$1454 per MT andthe domestic price in India wasUS$1500 per MT.

Market Review

51425175

5017

4913

5171

5308

5075

4850

5104

5171

4950

4875

43334300 4300 4300

4000

4200

4400

4600

4800

5000

5200

5400

7-1-12 14-1-12 21-1-12 28-1-12

Rs.

/Qtl

.

Date

Kochi Alappuzha Kozhikode Ambajipeta

Documents

ICJ English - February 2012.pmd