Marico to form clusters to help coconut farmers

In an effort to promote coconut cultivation in the country, the Coconut Development Board has started a plan with the help of Marico Ltd, a Rs 1,900-crore FMCG firm, to develop and promote coconut farm clusters. In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of coconut farming and copra conversion, Marico is now directly engaged with the farmers and copra converters through its collection centres in the southern states. The company, which is a leader in various kinds of branded cosmetic coconut oil products in the country, sources copra, a prime raw material based on raw coconut, from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Through the collection centre initiative, the company is already touching the lives of 50,000 farmers in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, a press release issued here said. The collection centre initiative, which was built over the last five years, fosters an air of trust between the farmers and Marico and benefits both the farmer and the industry. With the common goal of long-term sustenance of the coconut crop, Marico is now focusing on the cluster programmes run by the Coconut Development Board in Malappuram fistrict of Kerala. Free distribution of organic and chemical fertilisers, pesticides, coconut tree climbing machines and training for better agricultural management practices are conducted under the programme. With 22 clusters in the district alone, 3,500 farmers are currently making use of the programme. To celebrate the success of the Malappuram programme, the Coconut Development Board has conducted a six-day coconut festival.