Assam sets eyes on coconut

“Though Assam is still to take up coconut cultivation on a commercial scale,yet the coconut productivity here is not only much more than the national average but also more than that of Kerala,” said Coconut Development Board chairman T K Jose.

While the national average yield of coconut is 8,303 nuts per hectare per annum,Assam’s figures stand at 9,130,he said.

And,as if that is not enough,the average output in 16 out of Assam’s 27 districts is also more than the national average. Kerala,which accounts for about 41.5 per cent of coconut-growing area in the country and 36.89 per cent of the total production,has a current productivity of only 7,365 nuts per hectare per annum.

According to a study carried out by the CDB,Assam’s climatic conditions are quite favourable for coconut cultivation. “Moreover,there is a lot of fallow and wasteland available in the state which can easily be used for coconut cultivation without disturbing any other crop,” said Jose.

The CDB has already identified about two lakh hectares of land in Assam for taking up coconut plantation in the next five years.

A Demonstration and Seed Production farm established by the Board near Abhayapuri in Bongaigaon district,has promised to supply about two lakh seedlings to farmers during 2012. “The Abhayapuri farm has already distributed 22,000 coconut seedlings to farmers this year,and its capacity is being enhanced in order to meet the growing demand,” said Sugata Ghose,director for the Northeastern region.

Going by the CDB figures,coconut contributes about Rs 8,300 crore to the country’s GDP,and brings about Rs 1,500 crore per annum through foreign exchange,apart from contributing about six per cent to the vegetable oil pool.

“We are not only looking at potential farmers who would exclusively grow coconuts,but also have plans to encourage the homestead growers by supplying good quality seedlings. There are a large number of fisheries in the state where the farmers can easily grow coconuts,” said Ghose.

Farmers,who have taken to exclusive coconut cultivation,are at present getting an incentive subsidy of Rs 8,000 per hectare. “We have already submitted a proposal to the Planning Commission to enhance the subsidy to Rs 20,000 per hectare. Once this comes through,we expect to attract more farmers,” said chairman Jose.

But while small land-holding size is a hindrance for providing subsidies,the CDB has recently introduced coconut clusters where 40 to 100 farmers who own more than ten bearing palms can form a coconut producer’s society and avail the subsidy as well as other technical support,he said.

With Assam as the focal state,the Board is also looking at increasing coconut cultivation in Tripura. “The state government has already identified about 1.5 lakh hectares of land under its Jhumiya Rehabilitation Scheme. With this potential in hand,the Board is soon setting up a Demonstration & Seed Production farm,so that we can easily reach out to potential farmers in that state,” said Jose.