The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : 2008 to be observed as Coconut Year

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 28, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

2008 to be observed as Coconut Year

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Agriculture Department and the Coconut Development Board would observe 2008 as Coconut Year.

Programmes, including an international seminar and district-level meetings, would be organised during the year to remove apprehensions about the health effects of coconut oil and promote its consumption.

These decisions were taken at a conference chaired by Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran and attended by cardiologists, experts and Agriculture Department and Board officials here on Tuesday.

The Minister would lead a rally to be organised by the Board in Kochi on December 11 to promote use of coconut.

Mr. Ratnakaran observed that the coconut cultivators would face hardships unless steps were taken to support the price of coconuts. Production and productivity of coconut had improved in the State. He said that campaigns against coconut that it caused heart diseases peaked during Onam season when the consumption rose.

It was pointed out at the conference that the number of heart patients in the State was going up though the consumption of coconut oil had dropped. This showed that there was no correlation between heart diseases and consumption of coconut oil. Palmolein had been banned in the United States.

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