To empower the farmers, the Coconut Development Board has initiated steps to adopt Tiptur in Karnataka as a model village to implement its various schemes.

The schemes will be implemented with the involvement of people’s representatives, academic institutions and civil society groups. The objective is to ensure that coconut farmers at the village level adopt scientific management practices, said Raju Narayana Swamy, the newly-appointed Chairman of the Board.

There will be a concerted attempt to control the outbreak of pests and diseases through the setting up of a Plant Health Clinic at the village level involving experts in the field and villagers. Scientific water harvesting techniques incorporating traditional agronomy methods will be implemented through Rapid Rural Appraisal and Participatory Rural Appraisal approaches, he added.

The Chairman asked the Regional Director to prepare a detailed project proposal in this regard and submit within a week. One of the components of the programme will be a periodic interaction with the farmers through the call centres as well as through social media.

Swamy, who was in Karnataka to review the progress of various schemes, said that adoption of Tiptur would be a pilot project and there would be proper monitoring and evaluation.

The Board is also exploring the possibilities of setting up more sales outlets in Karnataka especially in airport, major railway stations and metro stations to sell the products of CPCs as well as women self help groups. The aim is to avoid middle men and to ensure that the income accrued reaches the hands of farmers.

It is also looking at the possibility of setting up toll free call centres in selected wards in Bangalore Municipal Corporation for door step delivery of designated coconut products. There are also plans to extent the area expansion programme to Gulbarga, one of the non-traditional districts in Karanataka which has a good potential and was far behind in coconut cultivation.

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