The Coconut Development Board is planning to explore markets for basket of seven coconut products through 63 JNNURM cities.
The basket includes packaged tender coconut water, virgin coconut oil, milk powder and cream, desiccated coconut powder, ball copra, coconut chips and pure coconut oil.
Demands for these products have been identified based on a consumer acceptability study conducted in metros and through the Board’s participation in exhibition and fairs in major cities across the country, CDB officials said.
The Boards project on the anvil include promoting 100 tender coconut units, five virgin coconut oil enterprises, 100 desiccated coconut manufacturing companies and 50 chips making units through JNNURM cities during the current financial year.
There is a mismatch of production of various products with their increasing demand.
The Board had already supported 200 processing units under financial assistance of the CDB through Technology mission on coconut (TMOC), the officials said. The CDB proposed to market these products in a phased manner.
In the first phase, the Board could market in seven cities with over four million populations - Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmadabad and Hyderabad.
Developing markets for value-added products enhance the price of coconut up to Rs 20 a nut according to the new marketing strategy of the CDB.
The Board is also trying to sell the products through supermarkets, malls, emporia, big stalls and outlets run by the consortia of coconut farmers.