TIRUCHY: Tamil Nadu Coconut Farmers Association staged a protest in Thanjavur on Tuesday demanding the government to distribute coconut oil in all PDS outlets and setting a price for copra which is profitable for farmers.

The members of the association from across the State who gathered at Pattukkottai staged a protest demanding the government to initiate steps to find a solution to the diseases found in coconut crops and appealed to the Union government to encourage the export of coconut and coconut byproducts.

They also demanded the government distribute coconut oil instead of importing palm oil for the PDS distribution so that it would boost the economic status of the lakhs of farmers involved in coconut cultivation.

They also demanded insurance for the coconut trees on par with the other crops.