Kerala   

Astute marketing to save the coconut grower

The name Kerala is believed to have engendered from ‘keram,’ which translates to coconut or coconut palm. The tree has an organic nexus with the State’s development. Native poets immortalised in their works the palm-fringed shores of Kerala. The palm is venerated as kalpatharu — ‘the tree of life.’

These meandering thoughts are meant to stress the role of the coconut and related products in the socio-economic and cultural growth of Kerala. However, the coconut products industry has suffered at the hands of policy makers, particularly in the Union government. There appears to be a lobby working against the promotion of coconut oil. They wilfully spread canards about the oil from the health point of view. The allegation that the oil contains saturated fat inimical to a healthy heart was recently proven baseless. The people of Kerala should fight tooth and nail across party lines to thwart the attempts to ruin the coconut oil industry in the State. The Coconut Development Board (CDB) should not lose heart and should pursue its progressive policies to further the industry’s interests. The State MPs should see that the central government, remote to Kerala geographically and ethnically, desists from playing partisan politics. An awareness campaign to popularise the harmlessness of coconut oil and to highlight the “gross injustice” meted out to Keralites should be launched to enlist people’s support.

N. Sadasivan Pillai

By e-mail

The slashing of the import duty on palmolein and the export ban on coconut oil is contradictory. The former could help reduce the price of edible oils and consumers would be benefited. In that case, there is no need for a ban on export of coconut oil. It should be lifted so that coconut cultivators are benefited. But, there is no excuse for not improving coconut productivity Kerala, which is now much lower than that of the neighbouring States.

A. Jacob Sahayam

Thiruvananthapuram

The coconut growers who also process coconut oil face unhealthy competition owing to the ban on export of coconut oil. The slashing of the import duty on palmolein also affects the sale of coconut oil if sold without branding.

However the growers have to find a way out rather than depending on the government’s plans and actions.

How do they do it? Coconut gets a good price if sold as tender coconut. But it needs some marketing techniques. The Coconut Development Board (CDB) can boost tender coconut sale by starting maximum sale points along with promoting it as a health drink. The packed tender coconut promoted by CDB is a right step in this direction.

There are many reputed brands in the country selling coconut oil at higher prices and the restrictions do not affect them as it is sold as their own brand. The CDB also should promote coconut oil as an Indian brand so that it can be sold as a product all over India as well as abroad. CDB can also can promote private industries to make coconut oil, coconut inflorescence sap (neera) etc. for which the technology is already available in India. The government an earn crores of rupees by way of excise duty from neera alone.

By making use of all the components of the coconut such as coconut shell, fibres, tender leaves etc. with value-addition, the coconut growers can save themselves from the present predicament.

Karunakaran T.P.

By e-mail

The slashing of import duty on palmolein and export ban on coconut oil are to keep the prices of edible oils under check, but alleged by some quarters to be to strangle the coconut cultivators in Kerala at the behest of traders of other edible oils. Whatever be the truth, I do not think the Coconut Development Board, the State Government or the State politicians have any long-term plans for the coconut cultivators, other than feeble voices at times such as this.

When there was a campaign that coconut oil can raise cholesterol levels, no effort was made to correct the impression. If the impression is correct, the Board should undertake the necessary research and develop a technology to reduce fat content in the oil. To widen the market for coconuts, use of coconut in other forms can be popularised. The oil can be used in cosmetics, for preparation of sweets, as an additive or tastemaker in several dishes etc. Use of desiccated coconuts should be encouraged outside the State and even for export. The board should play a pro-active role and advertise in the media on the various uses and qualities of coconut, the fruit of the Kalpavriksha.

George Thomas

Thiruvananthapuram

Since the prices of almost all agricultural products are rising all over the world, the Government of India has, as a part of import-export policy, slashed the import duty on refined and unrefined palmolein and has imposed an export ban on edible oils including coconut oil.

Although export ban on coconut oil has placed the coconut cultivators numbering about 35 lakh in Kerala in a state of uncertainty, the government’s decision aims at controlling prices of edible oils by ensuring availability of sufficient quantum of edible oils in the market.

It is to be remembered that not all the coconut cultivators have surplus for sale.

Moreover, those who have a liking for coconut oil will not go for palmolein in their kitchens.

The quantum required for industrial purposes also will not undergo much change. Hence, only a marginal fall in the price of coconut/coconut oil is to be expected. In order to save the sector that is ailing on account of high cost of labour, some support in the form of subsidy may be given to the cultivators to withstand the temporary unfavourable situation.

S. Paul Dhason

Thiruvananthapuram

As there is no scarcity of coconut oil in the State, the ban on the export of coconut oil will mainly frustrate the overseas Keralites. A few years back, a pest infection had destroyed more than 30% of the coconut trees in the State. No effective remedy has been recommended so far. On the instructions of the Agricultural Department, the worst-affected trees were felled. It is unfortunate that only a paltry compensation has been given to the distressed farmers. The trees that are still standing are not healthy enough to bear fruit. They do not give sufficient yield to supplement the farmer’s income. Thus the government as well as the MP’s from the State should make the Central government aware that the move would badly hurt the life of the coconut farmers in the State and that it should be revoked.

N. Ramachandran

Vakkom

Volatility in commodity prices has been a distinctive feature of the post-liberalisation period. Managing the cyclical fluctuations in respect of demand, supply and price of food products has proved to be an arduous task for governments across the world. More taxing has been the efforts to balance the conflicting interests of producers, intermediaries and the consumers.

The recent actions of the central government in reducing import duty on Palmolein and ban of export of coconut oil are intended to curb the galloping inflationary trends which, if unchecked, could harm the economic growth of the nation. Primarily meant as a control measure aimed at checking price rise, these measures will have the unintended consequence of hurting the interests of coconut farmers.

Since price volatility is here to stay and imposing unlimited import barriers is not possible under the new international trade regime, it makes sense to help farmers and other stakeholders to manage the crises with least pain instead of crying foul and indulging in political sloganeering.

When the price of commodities move up, farmers more than make up for the losses incurred during a downturn.

For instance, rubber prices nosedived in the nineties only to reach record prices later.

In order to help the coconut farmers, more efforts are required to improve productivity such as developing disease resistant varieties and to promote production of value-added products from coconut which are environment-friendly and biodegradable. Recently a foreign airline experimented with mixing aviation fuel with coconut oil to in order to reduce atmospheric pollution. Such innovative and out-of-the-box thinking are required to diversify the marketing opportunities for coconut farmers.

V.N. Mukundarajan

Thiruvananthapuram

Over the years, nothing could be done by the successive governments to really encourage farming. Coconut trees are affected by various diseases and productivity is reducing at an alarming rate. Five years back I had ten coconut trees which could meet all my household requirements, including oil. I had to cut down all the trees after spending up to Rs.1,000 per tree for various treatments. All the trees were in their prime productive years as they belonged to the west coast tall variety. This happened to thousands of trees in the locality.

Growers should form cooperatives which provide timely assistance in identification and treatment of diseases.

If products from tender coconut can be preserved, it can contribute to good revenue. Also coconut oil has proven capability as a lubricant which should be commercially exploited. Coconut gratings and milk are also in great demand, in the international market. Already, Srilanka and Thailand are marketing these products.

Toddy with guaranteed quality should be processed and made available.

G. Sasidharan Nair

Thiruvananthapuram

The authorities had better look to the opportunity beyond this seeming crisis, in the fact that, recently, Virgin Atlantic flew a 747 jet partly using coconut oil. Of course, bio-fuels as a major replacement energy source spell disaster, but such a choice, even on a very modest scale, can create large and lasting demand for them.

Also, see coconuts beyond being merely a culinary or cosmetics input, and use all parts of the palm more resourcefully. Coconut shell, as a handicraft medium, has much potential to fetch good value overseas, sometimes twice as much as the meat inside. Farmers can help themselves by being abreast of the times, by matching South East Asia’s vigour and creativity, enabling the region to supply the world useful products from the palm.

If the potential of coconuts can be realised in these ways, perhaps Keralites will not be able to afford their coconut-based cuisine, and that will be a real crisis, more serious than the one feared imminent!

Devraj Sambasivan

Alappuzha

As coconut can be taken as the most important cash crop in the State and many lives depends on its trade, the Central ban on coconut oil export will have huge adverse effects. It may cause suicides of cultivators and worsen living conditions in the state.

It will promote foreign traders. The Centre should promote local businesses and traders that will boost the economy and generate employment.

Slashing import duty is justifiable but the ban on export of coconut oil is not. As other crops like paddy are being affected by rain, straightening the coconut oil business will somewhat compensate this loss if handled properly.

The industry says that “premium exports could have been substituted by higher volume imports of cheaper oils. Ban will not have any effect on prices as exports are hardly 40,000 tonnes, while imports are 51 lakh tonnes.” But I ask, what about the people producing that 40,000 tonnes? Is there no need to think about them?

Shashwat Shriparv

Thiruvananthapuram

The coconut farmers in Kerala already have their share of problems with productivity going down due to various reasons. The root wilt disease that spread in our State had severely hit coconut production. Though the State government took steps to introduce high-yielding varieties, it did not become much of a success. Scarcity of labourers in this field is another problem that farmers face. In this context, the Central government move to slash import duty of palm oil and also the export ban of coconut oil will have a disastrous impact on the coconut farmers in Kerala. The Kerala government should represent this matter very seriously to the Central government.

Maju Balakrishnan

Thiruvananthapuram

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