<p>Kerala Governor P Sathasivam has urged farmers to double their farm income by focusing on value addition to coconut.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sathasivam said value additions to coconut, like coconut powder and coconut chips, have a high export value.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He was speaking after inaugurating an innovators’ meet organised by ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Kasaragod on Saturday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He urged the farmers to take up mixed farming on their land.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said he is proud to be a son of a farmer from Erode district. “Due to the close proximity to the Cauvery river, there was no scarcity for water and our family was engaged in cultivating sugarcane and paddy. After I retired as chief justice, I had decided to take up coconut farming and settle down,” he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Lauding the objective behind the programme, he said such programmes are relevant in the post-flood scenario in Kerala to overcome poverty.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“The GDP in the country has declined in the past few years. The plantation crops not only provide employment but also support the growth of the GDP,” he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Observing that that area under coconut cultivation in Kerala has declined, the governor said the productivity has increased in the state.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He called upon the farmers to negotiate with the companies and make them purchase products locally.<br /><br />He said the government may set up processing units in the future to process, generate wealth from waste and improve the environment for agri-business.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The exchange of MoA (Memorandum of Agreement) between CPCRI for Startup Green with Kerala Startup Mission, GoK, Thiruvananthapuram also took place on the occasion.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Dr Raju Narayana Swamy, chairman, Coconut Development Board (CDB) Kochi, emphasised on the role of CPCRI in saving the farmers from distress.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He backed the organic farming culture and giving a facelift to the sector from mere farming for the production of the commodity to a new horizon of entrepreneurship for development.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The governor released the publications ‘Proceedings of the Workshop on Arecanut and Human Health’ and ‘Samruthy - Coir Pith Compost’ by Sebastian.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Entrepreneurs, Yamuna Reddy, Pragathi Enterprises, AP; Rammohan, Umapathy Farms, TN; Nagaraja S R, ProB, Bengaluru; Mahesh Bhat, SriKalpa, Industries, Kumbla; Dinesh Pias, Krishna Plantations, Goa; Sibi Mathew, Magico, Kasaragod; Ramasesan, Gen Aeronautics, Bengaluru, S Narayanan, SPIC, Coimbatore; Sathish Pai, Hangyo Icecreams, Mangaluru and Pavithra S, Coimbatore were felicitated for being successful in their ventures in coconut-based industries.</p>.<p class="bodytext">CPCRI Director Dr P Chowdappa was present onthe occasion.</p>
<p>Kerala Governor P Sathasivam has urged farmers to double their farm income by focusing on value addition to coconut.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sathasivam said value additions to coconut, like coconut powder and coconut chips, have a high export value.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He was speaking after inaugurating an innovators’ meet organised by ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Kasaragod on Saturday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He urged the farmers to take up mixed farming on their land.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said he is proud to be a son of a farmer from Erode district. “Due to the close proximity to the Cauvery river, there was no scarcity for water and our family was engaged in cultivating sugarcane and paddy. After I retired as chief justice, I had decided to take up coconut farming and settle down,” he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Lauding the objective behind the programme, he said such programmes are relevant in the post-flood scenario in Kerala to overcome poverty.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“The GDP in the country has declined in the past few years. The plantation crops not only provide employment but also support the growth of the GDP,” he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Observing that that area under coconut cultivation in Kerala has declined, the governor said the productivity has increased in the state.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He called upon the farmers to negotiate with the companies and make them purchase products locally.<br /><br />He said the government may set up processing units in the future to process, generate wealth from waste and improve the environment for agri-business.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The exchange of MoA (Memorandum of Agreement) between CPCRI for Startup Green with Kerala Startup Mission, GoK, Thiruvananthapuram also took place on the occasion.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Dr Raju Narayana Swamy, chairman, Coconut Development Board (CDB) Kochi, emphasised on the role of CPCRI in saving the farmers from distress.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He backed the organic farming culture and giving a facelift to the sector from mere farming for the production of the commodity to a new horizon of entrepreneurship for development.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The governor released the publications ‘Proceedings of the Workshop on Arecanut and Human Health’ and ‘Samruthy - Coir Pith Compost’ by Sebastian.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Entrepreneurs, Yamuna Reddy, Pragathi Enterprises, AP; Rammohan, Umapathy Farms, TN; Nagaraja S R, ProB, Bengaluru; Mahesh Bhat, SriKalpa, Industries, Kumbla; Dinesh Pias, Krishna Plantations, Goa; Sibi Mathew, Magico, Kasaragod; Ramasesan, Gen Aeronautics, Bengaluru, S Narayanan, SPIC, Coimbatore; Sathish Pai, Hangyo Icecreams, Mangaluru and Pavithra S, Coimbatore were felicitated for being successful in their ventures in coconut-based industries.</p>.<p class="bodytext">CPCRI Director Dr P Chowdappa was present onthe occasion.</p>