World Coconut Day: Assam aims high in coconut

GUWAHATI: Assam faces the significant challenge of doubling its coconut productivity to match Andhra Pradesh, which leads the country with 15,964 nuts produced per hectare. On World Coconut Day, officials from the Coconut Development Board (CDB) urged farmers to cultivate high-quality seedlings and adopt proper management to achieve self-sufficiency in coconut production.
Coconut is grown on 21.03 thousand hectares in Assam, making it the largest area under coconut cultivation in the North-Eastern states. However, Assam heavily relies on procurement from South Indian states due to its low productivity. Rajat Kumar Pal, director of the Guwahati regional office of the Coconut Development Board, said,"Low productivity of coconut is the biggest challenge in Assam. Poor management, like lack of watering and use of manure has badly affected the productivity of coconut. Most importantly, our farmers need to go with good quality coconut seedlings that need to be planted to enhance coconut productivity.”
The World Coconut Day event, attended by about one hundred coconut growers from different districts of Assam and senior officials from both central and state governments, included various activities. Agricultural scientists from the Horticulture Research Station in Kahikuchi participated, and training sessions on scientific management of coconut crops were held. The Assam Agricultural University provided resource persons for training. The event also featured the distribution of coconut seedlings, a coconut-based exhibition, and a competition on coconut-based food products. To mark the occasion, a ceremonial coconut plantation program was conducted.
World Coconut Day is celebrated on September 2 every year to commemorate the establishment of the International Coconut Community (ICC). The ICC is an intergovernmental organization of 21 major coconut-producing nations, established under the United Nations' initiative, with India as a founding member.
Organized jointly by CDB of India and the Horticulture Research Station, Kahikuchi, the event aimed to bring the coconut crop into economic focus. Tej Prasad Bhusal, Director of Horticulture and Food Processing, Assam, noted the need for robust extension and outreach mechanisms.
The Chief General Manager of the Guwahati regional office of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Loken Das, underscored the socio-cultural significance of coconut in Assam and highlighted its business potential.
Rajesh Kumar, Principal Scientist of ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Guwahati emphasized the importance of generating quality planting material to bridge the productivity gap.
The importance of a technological roadmap for the coconut sector in Assam was underlined by Pradip Mahanta, Chief Scientist of Horticulture Research Station, Kahikuchi.
Alpana Das, Scientist in-charge at the Guwahati center of the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), stressed the need for farmer aggregation models such as Farmer Producer Organizations. This, she noted, could enhance farmers' bargaining and negotiation capabilities.