Schools to train in coconut-plucking
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala, 'the land of coconuts' is hit by acute shortage of tree climbers and farmhands, forcing the government to think about measures like starting a training school to create a pool of workers.
With the shortage of workers threatening the state's traditional farm base and paddy cultivation and leading to largescale influx of migrant workers from far-flung states like Bihar and Bengal, the Agricutural department has identified the issue as a critical one.
"Creation of a pool of labourers is crucial to sustain farming in Kerala. This could be achieved by giving them structured training in farm work and allied acitivies", Director of Agriculture, K K Gangadharan, told PTI.
He, however, said the concept of setting up of training schools was in its preliminary stage and final decision on the form, content and structure of the course would be decided only after thorough discussions.
As per the official statistics, the state has about 16 crore coconut trees, mostly spread over housing plots, many of them marginal-holdings. Most of the village have one or two coconut plam climbers, making it difficult for farmers to harvest the trees at right time.
Though some steps to introduce mechanisation were made in the past, they did not yield desired results.
"Mechanisation is essential in both coconut farming and paddy cultivation. Imparting skills in using machines in farming could be part of the course," Gangadharan said.
The shortage of labourers in different sectors, including farming has made Kerala a preferred destination for migrant workers with their numbers crossing over a lakh already.
Agri. & Commodities
