Low productivity and lack of remunerative price for commodity make small and marginal farmers struggle to meet both ends.

Price fluctuation of the produce neither provides them gainful employment nor generates sufficient income to sustain their basic needs.

“Though through processing and value addition, one can enhance the farm income. Enough technical support, suitable machineries and equipment for processing and value addition, working capital and marketing strategies are not readily available to them at the village level,” says Dr. George V. Thomas, Director, Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod.

Participatory approach

When these problems faced in the coconut production sector were discussed at the international level, the idea of adoption of integrated coconut based farming system and other subsidiary income generating enterprises by formation of Community Based Organizations (CBO) and implementation of interventions through farmer participatory approach mooted.

“This concept was tested and proven highly successful under the project on ‘Overcoming poverty in coconut-growing communities: Coconut genetic resources for sustainable livelihoods in India’, supported by International fund for agriculture development (IFAD) and Biodiversity International implemented by the Regional Station, Kayamkulam of the CPCRI.,” says Dr.V. Krishnakumar, Senior Scientist of the Insitute.......Read More

Source: The Hindu