Kerala, which literally means that the land of coconut trees may soon be on the verge of full contradiction of its name – with groves thinning, skills and suffering declines.
PTI reported products such as coconut oils that are in the form of a staple and now as a reliable source of income, PTI stated. Reasons include shrinking fields, rising real estate prices, crop disease and climate change.
For many families, rising prices make deep cuts, changing kitchens and traditions. Reports of people switching on cheap options of coconut oil have been revealed.
Mountaineer in low supply
Today, Kerala suffers from a severe shortage of mountaineers of skilled coconut tree. Earlier it was these climbers who played an abstract role behind the coconut, which was running on a spontaneous journey from trees for people’s daily lives.
After robbing the coconut, the climbers will also clean the crown of the tree. “It was necessary to identify diseases and insect attacks in an early stage and help the farmer address them before it deteriorated,” the Assistant Professor and Coconut Research Center, Balrampuram, T Santosh Kumar told PTI.
Kumar further said how this job is currently done by migrant laborers from states like West Bengal, Assam, Odisha and Bihar.
Coconut vs Concrete
Kumar cited the ongoing demand for housing and land for commercial purposes as the main reason behind the fall in coconut production in the state. He said that many coconut trees are falling regularly to make way for residential or commercial buildings.
Emphasizing the need to plant coconut plants, Kumar said that at present, all the yields in Kerala come from the trees planted by the earlier generations. Kumar said, “None of the younger generations are planting coconut trees, and most of the areas of Kerala have now reached the platform where replication is required with trees over 70 years of age.”
Competition from other states; Some more hope
Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh have stepped with scientifically managed coconut fields and have produced much better crop, increasing the prices of coconut-based products.
The demand for coconut has been on a worldwide bounce after detecting the health benefits of ‘Lauric Acid’, an important component in coconut oil.
PTI quoted scientists as saying that coconut shells also receive a reasonable price as its charcoal is highly demanded, while the core pit made of husk is widely used in agriculture and horticulture, PTI quoted scientists.
Addressing the concerns of insect infections, Professor and Head of the Plant Pathology Department at Agricultural College, Vellani, NV Radhakrishnan said, “Coconut farms have no longer managed in Kerala, and coconut has become a house crop.”
He further emphasized how climate plays a major role in the spread of flexible new insects and diseases like root Wilt. PTI quoted Radhakrishnan as saying, “Now we face small but heavy mantras of rain, hot nights and heatwaves. It is added to it.
In contrast to Kerala Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, coconut maintains the tradition of growing coconut in traditional mixed farming setup, where coconut is grown as a monochrop or more homestand crop, with only a few trees inside their premises in majority homes.
The state allegedly lacks proper, scientific fertilizer. Rapid loss of traditional knowledge once by climbers of coconut tree in the state is also a major cause of rapid spread of diseases and decline in production.
With the high rise in the prices of coconut and its affiliated products, more people can now come forward to plant coconut trees. “We are receiving many questions,” Kumar said.
