Karnataka   

Scheme on support price for coconut

PANAJI: The Goa Government on Friday announced a scheme on support price for coconut at Rs. 4.

The scheme, to be operational retrospectively from December 19 (Liberation Day), 2007, is aimed at controlling the fall in price of coconut for the last three years. It is also meant to help production being affected by pest infestation in recent years owing to which farmers and coconut growers suffered, declared Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Friday.

The crisis in coconut cultivation had affected rural employment, and greenery of the State had also been threatened, he said.

According to Director, Agriculture, Satish Tendulkar, Goa produces around 12 crore coconuts a year of which six crore to seven crore are traded in market through 100 registered traders. The prevalent wholesale price is between Rs. 2,300 to Rs. 2,700 for 1,000 coconuts, he said. The support price scheme is estimated to cost the State treasury between Rs. 1.5 crore to Rs. 2 crore till the end of this financial year, said Minister for Agriculture Vishwajit Rane.

Mr. Tendulkar felt the mite infestation that had plagued the State coconut cultivation since the last few years, might be reduced this year if the State got a reasonably heavy rainfall as had been the case in Kerala last year.

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