Centre fixes minimum support prices for copra in Andaman

Port Blair, Mar 18 (UNI) The Centre has fixed the minimum support price of Fair Average Quality (FAQ) of mulling copra at Rs 3,660 per quintal and FAQ of ball copra at Rs 3,910 per quintal for 2008 for the coconut growers of the Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Copra is the dried kernel of coconut. Coconut oil is traditionally extracted by grating or grinding copra and then boiling it in water.

Most of the tribal families of Nicobar district are dependent on copra marketing for their livelihood.

''The National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) will be the Central Nodal Agency and Andaman Nicobar Cooperative Federation (ANCOFED), Ellon Hinergo Ltd, Car Nicobar and Tribal Development Cooperative Society Limited, Nancowry, will be the procuring agencies,'' Chairman of the ANCOFED Kuldeep Rai Sharma told UNI today.

While the ANCOFED has been authorised to undertake procurement of copra from entire Andaman, North and Middle Andaman district, Hut Bay at Great Nicobar, EHL is for Car Nicobar Island and TDCS for Nancowry group of islands, including Chowra and Teresa islands.

The procuring agencies will have to pay the price fixed by the Centre and any deviation in payment of minimum support price at Rs 36.60 per kg would be brought to the attention of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, an official release issued by the Andaman Registrar of Cooperative Societies said.

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