TRANSFER OF COCONUT PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES - AN IMPACT ANALYSIS

摘要

Coconut (Cocos nucifera L), a traditional plantation crop, is grown in 93 countries across the world and supports the livelihood of more than 80 million small and marginal farmers. India is the third largest producer of coconut in the world with annual production of 12251 million nuts. However, coconut growers are many times deprived of sustained income from coconut plantation due to high degree of price fluctuations ranging from Rs.2.00 to Rs.4.50 per nut. Further, major consumption of coconut in the country is in the form of raw nuts (60%), copra (32%), tender nuts (5%) and seed nuts (3%). Hence its relative share in the international trade arena is nonsignificant as compared to the other major coconut producing countries viz., Philippines and Indonesia. Therefore, in recent years, value addition in coconut through product diversification is gaining momentum for sustaining coconut growers as well as creating employment opportunities among women self help groups and rural youth. In this direction,the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute of Indian Council of Agricultural Research has strengthened the post-harvest technology research in the IX Plan which resulted in the development of value added coconut processing technologies such as coconut chips, snow ball tender nut, copra dryers for quality copra, and coconut beverages for providing additional returns and also additional rural employment.