The Coconut Development Board will extend the replanting and rejuvenation programme on coconut to entire Kerala.
T.K.Jose, Chairman, said the programme was implemented on a pilot scale in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Thrissur and will be extended to the remaining 11 districts in a phased manner.
The Union Government had allotted Rs 75 crore in the budget in this regard, he said.
In the pilot project, farmers were given subsidy of Rs 500 per palm for the first 20 palms, Rs 250 per palm for subsequently removed palms, subject to a maximum of Rs 13,000 per hectare was provided to the farmers for cutting and removal of old, senile, unproductive and disease advanced palms.
The cutting and removal of the palms was followed by a systematic replanting by providing a subsidy at the rate of Rs 20 per seedling. The remaining palms in the garden were rejuvenated through proper management practices for which a subsidy of Rs 15,000 per hectare was given in two annual instalments, he said.
However, in the extended scheme for implementation in 11 districts, the Board has recommended Rs 17,500 per hectare instead of the existing Rs 15,000 per hectare for rejuvenation by taking into account the higher input cost.
Similarly for replanting, the Board has recommended for a higher subsidy of Rs 40 per seedlings instead of the existing Rs 20 per seedling.
The project with the upgraded subsidies will be implemented soon on approval by Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operation.
The programme is targeted to be completed in one year in districts like Wayanad and Idukki having less area under coconut and in the other districts in two years time.
During the project period, an area of 1.37 lakh ha was covered in Kerala and 2,000 hectares in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
The total area targeted for implementing the scheme in Kerala was 1.33 lakh hectares and 2000 hectares in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
The newly formed in Coconut Producers Societies and Coconut Producers Federations along with the clusters of coconut farmers can take the lead in the effective and speedy implementation of the project, he added.