Coconut farmers association's plea to government
In a memorandum to Tamil Nadu Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the association pointed out that the setting up of KVK at Pattukottai, instead of at the Agricultural College at Echankottai, had certain advantages in terms of infrastructure development and logistics.
The KVK could be set up without delay on major capital outlay at the Regional Extension Training Centre (RETC), Pattukottai, where land and buildings were available. Also, East Coast Road was an excellent logistics corridor for export of value-added coconut and other agricultural products to reach the sea and air-borne shipment infrastructure facilities at Tuticorin.
Claiming that the large concentration of coconut farming in Pattukottai and Peravurani region would ensure long-term rural employment opportunities from technical staff and filed demonstrators to input supplies, value-addition units and market link facilitators, the association said the setting up of a coconut-focused KVK at Pattukottai would help provide the latest, best-practice technologies in varietal selection, water-use efficiency, nutrient management, pest surveillance and post-harvest value addition directly to small and marginal coconut farmers, who currently rely on outdated methods.
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