Coconut Producer collectives- a platform to address the challenges of farmers

摘要

Organizing the unorganizec coconut sector through farmer's collectives is one of the most key activities initiated by Coconut Development Board during the 12"1 five year plan period. CDB has been facilitating the formation and hand holding of FPOs since the last four years. With the strenuous efforts taken by the Board, aggregation of primary coconut producers, especially small and marginal farmers into producer collectives has now become a reality. The primary objective of mobilizing farmers into member-owned producer organizations is to enhance production, productivity and promote economically desirable processing, marketing and to enhance profitability of coconut farming, especially the small farmers of the country. The producer's collective's need to be strengthened and they will be facilitated to access forward linkages with regard to technology for enhanced productivity, value addition of feasible products and market tie-ups. The participant farmers will be given necessary support to identifyappropriate production and protection technologies for increasing production by optimum use of inputs and use of intercrop relevant to their coconut garden. Coconut farmers are organized into a three tier fanner collectives viz. CPS at grass root level, CPF at the middle level and Producer companies at the top level for improved input and output market access as well as negotiating power.