Coconut is a traditional plantation crop of India and assumes the status of a high value commercial crop and Kerala ranks first in area (53.76) followed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. In our country, 98 of the coconut holdings are lessthan 2.0 ha in size out of which more than 90 are less than 1.0 ha. these small holdings are mainly committed to a mono crop of coconut, which normally occupies the land for about a century. Most of these holdings neither provide gainful employment opportunities for the family labour throughout the year nor generate sufficient income to meet the family requirement. In the present condition where coconut growers are more exposed to economic risks and uncertainties owing to the high degree of price fluctuations, need of the hour is to emphasize the importance of crop diversification in coconut gardens.
展开▼
