TIRUCHY: Coconut Development Board member from Thanjavur met Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in Delhi on Thursday and appealed to him to initiate steps to increase the consumption of coconut across the country and introduce insurance schemes for coconut crop.

According to Pannaivayal R Ilango, the Coconut Development Board member from Thanjavur, the coconut price has declined due to the import of edible oil from various countries and the less export orders on the value-added products of coconut.

Ilango urged the Union Minister to form a committee with the central agriculture secretary, Coconut Development Board and the Federation of coconut cultivators to study the feasibility of distribution of coconut oil in Public Distribution System outlets, utilising it in the noon meal scheme and defence canteens. He pointed out that the Prime Minister Crop Insurance scheme benefits farmers, who face more than 33 per cent damage, but this scheme does not benefit coconut farmers and so the Centre should consider insurance for coconut based on the crop loss.

“The compensation for coconut crop loss is fixed at Rs 7,000 per hectare, but this is not adequate and so a relief of Rs 40,000 per hectare should be provided to coconut on a par with the other crops,” he appealed. Moreover, he stated that the MSP for the copra is not adequate and so its price should be increased to Rs 150 per kg of copra.