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AP coconut prices crash on closure of Nafed centres

Ch. R.S. Sarma

KAKINADA, July 12

COCONUT prices in Andhra Pradesh, especially East and West Godavari districts which account for the bulk of the production, have crashed after the closure of the Nafed copra purchase centres in February. The farmers are now demanding that the centres be reopened to revive the market.

The prices of copra have fallen to Rs 2,000 per quintal and below and the tender coconuts, too, are selling at Rs 2,000 or so per 1,000 nuts. To make matters worse, the pest, eridophyte querreronis, has taken a heavy toll on the crop in the two districts .

Traditionally, the two Godavari districts are known for coconut cultivation, especially the Konaseema region in East Godavari district. Ambajipeta in the vicinity of Amalapuram, the constituency of the Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr G.M.C Balayogi, is the biggest copra trading centre in the State. The market was badly hit after the devastating cyclone in 1996 which ravaged the crop in the Konaseema area. It took four years for the rejuvenation of the affected palms and the yields picked up in 2000 but the prices have again crashed now.

On the demand of farmers, and at the instance of the Lok Sabha Speaker, Nafed opened purchase centres in the two Godavari districts in May, 2000, and the centres functioned till February this year.

It is estimated that Nafed may have purchased Rs 50 crore-worth copra in the two districts and there was substantial improvement in the market prices from a range of Rs 2,000-2,200 per quintal to Rs 2,500-3,000 per quintal. Though there were allegations of irregularities, and middlemen cornering the benefits, the farmers did gain to a great degree. It was the first time Nafed had undertaken such a market intervention scheme in AP, thanks largely to Mr Balayogi.

It was during this period that the pest, eriodophyte querreronis, made its entry into the Konaseema and it has become a major problem since then. Both in terms of quantity and quality, it is affecting the crop and the scientists have recommended a packag e of practices for controlling the pest.

Spraying of monocrotophos on the gardens and rootfeeding with a mixture of the chemical and an equal quantity of water are the main remedial measures apart from bio-control methods and development of pest-resistant varieties.

A sum of Rs 2.5 crore has been sanctioned for curbing the mite on coconut palms in the Konaseema area but the funds have not been released yet.

Another problem has cropped up during the past ten days at Ambajipeta market following the copra workers strike seeking wage revision. This, too, has affected the market to a great extent.