BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Rajya Krushak Bikash Cooperative Society will distribute around 50,000 coconut saplings to interested farmers across the state over the next one year, said society chairman Amiya Kumar Pattnaik on the occasion of World Coconut Day on Wednesday.
He said the initiative will be undertaken with support of the Coconut Development Board, Coir Board, Odisha Coir Industries Corporation, Directorate of Horticulture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, District Industries Centres, the state MSME department and five non-governmental organisations.
The society will provide saplings to farmers at affordable prices and conduct training programmes at district and block levels in 14 coastal districts of the state. Interested farmers and self-help groups will be trained in scientific coconut cultivation and farm management.
A technical advisory committee comprising experienced horticulture experts will also be constituted to guide and monitor the programmes, Pattnaik said.
Society members said coconut cultivation has significant potential in Odisha, particularly in the coastal belt, where climatic conditions are favourable for the crop. However, the state continues to depend on Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu to meet its demand.
The state requires more than 80 crore coconuts annually, while its current production is estimated at around 40 crore. Nearly 55,000 hectare is under coconut cultivation across Odisha.
The state faced large-scale damage to coconut plantations during the 1999 Super Cyclone and subsequent cyclones, including Phailin, Hudhud and Fani, affecting production and the state’s coconut base.