Ruling front, opposition trade blame over Kerala’s crisis-ridden coconut farming sector

The decline of the coconut farming sector in Kerala sparks a heated debate between ruling and opposition parties.

The ruling front and opposition bickered in the Assembly on February 14 over who was responsible for the decline of the coconut farming sector in Kerala.

An adjournment notice moved by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) legislator Kurukkoli Moideen during Zero Hour triggered the debate that culminated in a walkout by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) opposition.

Mr. Moideen accused the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government of halting coconut procurement and depriving farmers of incentives to replant ageing groves with new high-yielding, dwarfish and blight-resistant hybrid coconut saplings.

He demanded that the government declare a minimum support price of ₹42 per kilogram for coconut.

Mr. Moideen said coconut harvesting has become increasingly expensive, with pluckers charging at least ₹60 to scale a palm. Desperate coconut farmers were forced to sell their harvest at throw-away prices to meet the labour-intensive production and harvesting costs.

Mr. Moideen said the government coconut procurement remained on paper. The State had only three procurement centres in Malappuram, Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram.

“Coconut farmers in other districts must ferry their harvest to these far-flung centres, hoping for a decent price. The government’s procurement price is often pitiable and fluctuating, and payments to farmers are delayed inordinately”, he said.