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Unique agro-forestry model to woo tourists

Staff Reporter

Coconut groves as tourist centres

KOCHI: Peekay Tree Crops Development Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, and the Swadeshi Nalikera Mission have mooted the development of coconut groves as tourist destinations. This is part of a declaration adopted by the two bodies at a recently concluded international coconut summit.

Many useful tree species and arable crops with or without livestock components are often integrated in the coconut groves. When such integration is practised systematically, each coconut grove becomes a unique agro-forestry model, a potential site of attraction for tourists. To add beauty and tourist facilities to the grove, hutments, tender coconut parlours, outlets for coconut-based handicrafts, refreshment stalls and children's parks could be integrated.

Agro-forestry models

Both small and large coconut groves, particularly those located along the backwaters are amenable to conversion into agro-forestry models with built-in tourist facilities. Coconut groves with diverse plant species and livestock components will strengthen the local agro-ecosystem, according to the declaration.

Cooperatives or registered groups of coconut farmers should be promoted to undertake joint ventures in coconut farming comprising compatible enterprises such as dairying, poultry rearing, pisciculture and apiculture. These organisations could be created by farmers themselves and managed by them with Government support in the form of technical guidance and institutional facilities, the declaration said.

In India, coconut farming is in the hands of small and marginal farmers. When the holding is small with the possibility of subsequent subdivision and fragmentation, only subsistence farming is possible without scope for generating neither adequate on-farm employment nor marketable surplus to benefit from the price incentives periodically declared by the Government.

Social status

Consequently, coconut farming, in general, fails to enjoy social status with the result that the educated youth is disinclined to opt for it as a socially acceptable and economically viable activity. But this situation prevails only in the small farms and family holdings. This becomes obvious from the fact that both educated youngsters and corporate bodies take interest in plantation agriculture covering high value crops, including oil palm.

Plantation agriculture enjoys social status and also patronage from governments of many countries. The situation is not different in the major coconut growing countries also where despite the languishing coconut industry, the governments are offering attractive incentives for the development of oil palm plantations, the declaration said.

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