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Kerafed struggling for survival

Staff Reporter

Mismanagement and lack of professionalism are the root causes

PATHANAMTHITTA: The Kera Karshaka Sahakarana Federation (Kerafed) with an outstanding liability of Rs.39 crores is struggling for survival allegedly owing to gross mismanagement and lack of professionalism in an age of competition.

There were allegations that coconut and copra imported from outside the State, allegedly at the instance of private traders, were pooled at the Kerafed godowns leading to deprivation of support price originally designed to benefit the marginal and medium coconut producers in the State. Certain primary marketing societies were also aware of this kind of `shady deals' allegedly masterminded by certain Kerafed quarters questioning their very propriety and bona fides, according to official sources.

The loss suffered by the farmers of Kerala on this account was voluminous and no meaningful preventive measures were initiated either by the Agriculture Department or by the Co-operative Department, leaving the poor farmers at the receiving end. `Malfunctioning' is said to be another bane with the Kerafed. It was alleged that the two oil mills manned and managed by the federation in Karunagappally in Kollam district and Naduvannur in Kozhikode were not utilising the installed capacity of copra crushing operation, so far.

Moreover, the Kerafed products were yet to reach the hands of customers in many parts of the State allegedly owing to the inept marketing strategy of the federation even in the home State. The sources said vigorous drive in raw material procurement besides full utilisation of the copra crushing units and effective market intervention could resolve the present crisis of the Kerafed.

It was noteworthy that the Kerafed was the apex body of primary marketing cooperatives constituted with the specific objective of providing remunerative price to medium and marginal coconut-growers.

Its primary function was to procure coconut and copra from the producers through primary co-operatives with support price declared from time to time by the Union Government.

Experts said in the present context of market economy, value addition of products was the lone means of survival as far as the Kerafed was concerned. The State Government claimed to have laid down emphasis on the agriculture front in order to tone up the growth rate.

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