The Hindu Business Line : 'Coconut plantations may have been affected by tsunami'

The Union Agriculture Secretary, Ms Radha Singh, flanked by Mr K.V. Kamath, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ICICI Bank Ltd, and Mr P.H. Ravikumar, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of NCDEX, at a conference on "Business opportunities in Agriculture" in Mumbai. — Shashi Ashiwal

Mumbai , Dec. 28

COCONUT plantations along the shorelines of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala might have been affected by Sunday's tsunami attack, Ms Radha Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, said on Tuesday.However, a proper assessment was yet to be made and a Central team will assess the extent of damage to agriculture in these affected States, she said.

``We could look at a special package for Tamil Nadu, Andamans and Nicobar. Fresh sapling may have to be planted,'' she said on the sidelines of a conference on agriculture organised by Confederation of Indian Industry.

At the conference, she said that the Agriculture Ministry is in the process of introducing an integrated food law.

The Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, has already held two rounds of talks to discuss the new proposal.

According to her, rabi prospects are much better than kharif. Rabi wheat prospects are bright with production anticipated at around 76 million tonnes (mt) against the previous season's output of 73 mt. There were worries on account of a rise in temperature in the North. But with a reversal in temperatures, the prospects have brightened.

Kharif foodgrain production had declined by 3-4 mt on account of inadequate monsoon. But production of oilseeds, pulses, cotton and now wheat is much higher that the previous year.

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