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The Kasaragod-based CPCRI (Central Plantation Crops Research Institute) is planning to explore the commercial potential of the palmyrah plant. As a first step, the CPCRI’s regional station in Kayamkulam, Kerala, will house germplasm of the plant from different parts of the country.
In an informal chat with businessline on the sidelines of a farmer-contact programme in Mangaluru on Friday, KB Hebbar, Director of CPCRI, Kasaragod, said the institute has now added palmyrah as a mandate crop for research along with arecanut, coconut and cocoa.
Terming palmyrah as a less-explored crop, he said CPCRI is collecting germplasm from different parts of the country, and planting them at its Kayamkulam regional station for further characterisation.
Neera collection tech
The institute’s research will focus on scientific collection of palmyrah neera, and production of value-added products such as palmyrah sugar, jaggery, syrup and honey, etc.
CPCRI already has neera collection and processing technology for palm plants. The institute has given that technology to Telangana for the production of palmyrah neera in that State. Stating that Bihar Agricultural University has many palmyrah trees, he said, “We will refine that technology in collaboration with the university for the production of palmyrah neera.”
To a query on the neera production from palm plants, he said farmers can produce neera from coconut inflorescence throughout the year. However, the production of neera is seasonal in the case of palmyrah, fishtail palm, and date palm.
Hebbar said that CPCRI is trying to reorient its research programmes based on the needs of the farmers, stakeholders and the industry.
“Until now, the institute has been concentrating on crop varieties, either for yield or for quality. To a large extent we have achieved that one. Now our aim is to bring down the cost of production of mandate crops,” he said.
Apart from this, the institute is also focusing on research in the area of climate change impact on the mandate crops, and the measures to tackle them, he added.
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