Centre urged to fix floor-price for "Copra": Minister

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 12 (UNI) Kerala Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran today informed the Assembly that the government had urged the Centre to fix floor-price for ''Copra'' instead of Coconut.

Replying to questions by Mr M Chandran and others, he said the government had brought the issue several times before the Centre and finally in principle they had agreed to the state's proposal.

Pointing out that only five per cent of the farmers in the state were engaged in processing coconut to copra, he hoped that the decision would be a great relief and help to the farmers in the sector.

Mr Ratnakaran said the government was also planning to open a research institute on coconut by coordinating the activities of the Centre and state.

He said the government would set up a 'demonstration coconut farm' in every panchayat with 50 farmers under one agriculture officer.

On tackling 'cheroot-wilt' disease affecting coconut and increasing coconut production, he said the Centre had approved Rs 1924.67 crore for the project, which would be implemented in Kollam, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta districts.

He informed that the government was taking steps to provide high-yield seeds at subsidised rates to farmers and also planning to enter in markets with value added products.

To another question, he said the government would set up bio-fertiliser plants in the state.

UNI