Coconut farmers oppose area expansion in the State

  
Sharing a lighter moment:G. Jayalakshmi, Commissioner, Department of Horticulture, with S.D. Sikhamani, Vice-Chancellor of the Andhra Pradesh Horticulture University, at a meeting of coconut growers at Bhimavaram on Thursday. BHIMAVARAM: A section of farmers on Thursday represented Commissioner of Horticulture G. Jayalakshmi against the coconut area expansion in the State here on Thursday as a measure to address the problem of price crash. Ms. Jayalakshmi was here to take part in a programme of coconut growers.
The growers said they were receiving a meagre price of Rs. 2-3 per fruit which was however sold at a rate ranging between Rs. 9-12 in Hyderabad and the other urban centres. The price of coconut per fruit was registered at Rs. 2 in 2000, which went up to Rs. 6 in 2004 and now crashed to Rs. 3. In such a skewed scenario marked with market vagaries, the coconut plantations were uprooted in many parts in the coastal tracts since the crop failed to be economically viable, the growers regretted. The district reeled under acute drought conditions for the last two years and the incidence of eriophyid mite played havoc with the coconut. It all had an adverse bearing on the size and quality of the fruit, the growers explained. Ravi Prakash, Assistant Director, Horticulture Department, said the coconut palms were invaded by many pests and diseases such as black-headed caterpillar, rhinoceros beetle, red palm weevil, basal stem rot and eriophyid mite which all led to an yield loss estimated to be around 10.25 per cent in the district.
S.D. Sikhamani, Vice-Chancellor of the Andhra Pradesh Horticulture University, said the area expansion in coconut came under question in view of a mismatch in yield in the traditional and non-traditional areas, warranting a scientific study on the issue. In the traditional areas, the less cultivation cost and higher yield were reported unlike in the non-traditional areas, he added. The Vice-Chancellor called for research for development of semi-dwarf varieties in coconut which needed to be farmer-friendly in harvesting. Taller the palm, more the problems for growers in harvesting and application of pesticides, he explained. The plant with a height less than 20ft, reported low yield, he said.
Mr. Sikhamani informed that the scientists at the coconut research station at Ambhajipet had developed a new technique in pest management —pitting the predators against the harmful pests as a substitute to application of pesticides so as to make the copra zero tolerant in terms of deposit of pesticide residues. The copra in the case of traditional application of pesticide got low export value since they carry the deposits of pesticide residues beyond the tolerable levels.