Kochi, Sep 2 (UNI) Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will virtually inaugurate the national-level World Coconut Day 2025 celebrations organised by the Coconut Development Board (CDB) at Angamaly today.
The Minister will deliver the inaugural address and announce the launch of the Board’s newly revised schemes covering coconut cultivation, processing, value addition, marketing and export. He will also inaugurate the new Farmers’ Hostel at the CDB Institute of Technology, Aluva.
As part of the function, CDB will present Export Excellence Awards to outstanding exporters of coconut products and release its latest publications. A technical session ahead of the main event will feature presentations on the revised schemes and emerging opportunities in coconut processing, value addition, marketing and exports.
CDB has revised the cost norms of several farmer welfare schemes to meet challenges arising from rising input costs, pest and disease incidence, and climate change-related crop losses.
The revamped “Kera Suraksha” insurance scheme will provide coverage of up to Rs 7 lakh to coconut sector workers for an annual beneficiary premium of only Rs 143, with the balance subsidised by the Board.
This year, the revised schemes will be implemented across 23,000 hectares nationwide, including 10,000 hectares in Kerala, with an allocation exceeding Rs 30 crore. Subsidies for coconut replanting and integrated development schemes have also been substantially enhanced, in some cases up to ten times higher.
World Coconut Day, observed every year on September 2 to mark the foundation day of the International Coconut Community (ICC), is being held under the theme “Uncovering Coconut’s Power, Inspiring Global Action.”
The Angamaly celebrations are expected to draw over 1,500 farmers from 150 farmer clusters, along with entrepreneurs, industry stakeholders and policymakers.
