The Hindu Business Line : Industry urged to tap full potential of coconut trees

THE industry has to tap the full potential of the coconut tree as a renewable resource, which could be used to generate a range of environment-friendly, natural products with a wide variety of end-uses and applications, according to Dr P. Rethinam, Executive Director of the Jakarta-based Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC).

Addressing the Coconut Asia 2005 Conference here on Wednesday organised as part of the India International Commodity Fair (IICF), Dr Rethinam said in the wake of mounting competition in global markets arising from the liberalised trade environment, "the future prospects of the coconut industry lies solely on its overall competitive ability keeping in view cost effectiveness, quality consciousness and meeting the consumer demands."

Besides, the producing countries need to exploit to the fullest, their individual comparative advantages in cultivation, processing and marketing of coconuts.

The main factors in achieving a sustainable degree of overall competitive edge in the coconut industry were productivity increase at farm level; encouragement of farm level processing; converting the weakness of not applying the inorganic fertilisers into strength by adopting organic farming to produce niche organic products and to get higher price and enhanced income; and linking farmers to the market.

The other factors, according to Dr Rethinam, are diversifying of products/developing products for niche market; increasing processing efficiency and quality standards matching with international standards; intensive market promotional efforts, market study and market forecasting etc; promotion of non-traditional coconut products such as bio fuel, bio lubricants etc, as green fuels which are eco-friendly.

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