KERALA IS BACK AS INDIA’S TOP COCONUT PRODUCING STATE

Kerala state has regained the top spot in coconut production, surpassing other major producers Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the 2016/17 agriculture year, The Hindu BusinessLine reported last week.  Kerala’s production touched 7,464.26 million nuts during the period, followed by Tamil Nadu at 6,171.07 million and Karnataka at 5,128.89 million. In prior period, Kerala was third in production at 4,896.61 million.
A Coconut Development Board (CDB) senior official credited Kerala’s production performance to the replanting and rejuvenation schemes and Layout Demonstration Plots adopted by the board.  Likewise, the effective intervention of Farmers Producers Societies for cultivating and marketing, coupled with the scientific cultivation adopted by farmers, helped in getting the desired results.   
The state used to be top producer until 2010-2011 when Tamil Nadu took over due to its high area under cultivation. High labor cost and utilization of agriculture land for other purposes, however, has prevented Kerala from expanding coconut area.  The CDB official said tree production could still be improved in existing gardens by scientific management practices. The board is now focusing on increasing productivity level to 12,000 nuts/hectare from the present 9,663 nuts. The productivity in 2010-11 was about 7,000 nuts/hectare.