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Good Rain to Boost Coconut Production Next Year in India
Thursday, July 26, 2018Bountiful rain in many of the growing areas across South India is expected to bring cheer to the coconut sector with a good crop season next year, resulting in enhanced production and price stabilisation, Business Line reported on July 12. In 2018, the sector posted a comfortable production, thanks to last year’s widespread rains after drought-like condition in 2016/17. The trend of rising production is likely to continue next year as well, with heavy spells being experienced in many production centres.
Data from the Coconut Development Board (CDB) placed production in 2016/17 crop season at 23,904 million nuts, increasing up to 24,378 million nuts in 2017/18. The sector expects a 5-10 per cent growth in the 2018/19 crop season in the wake of several positive factors.
A senior official in the Board told Business Line that besides monsoon, there has been renewed interest by farmers in taking up coconut crop cultivation lured by higher prices which should perk up production. Moreover, there was a small shift of farmers from rubber to coconut farming, especially in the Central Travancore belt, which would also contribute for the production growth. This, he said, is evident in the minimal expansion of cultivated area in this region from 2.08 lakh hectares to 2.10 lakh hectares.