ICJ-2013-05

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

1/48

Neera - a treasure houseof untapped potential

THEME

I N S I D ENeera for the revival ofcoconut economy ..................................... 2

Coconut Neera - the hidden unexploredtreasure .................................................... 4K Muralidharan and Deepthi Nair. S.

Keraamritham- a health drink fromcoconut inflorescence sap ...................... 9B. Jayaprakash Naik, P R Suresh,Meera Manjusha, P V Balachandran,Madhusubramonian and PC Balakrishnan

Production of Neera and coconut sugardeserves encouragement ...................... 11P.K.Thampan

Coconut palms suitable forNeera tapping ......................................... 15Jnanadevan. R

Bio Beverage - Coco Neera .................... 17R. Hali

Indonesia and Philippines a replicablemodel to grow sweeter with coconut ... 20Deepthi Nair. S.

Two Coconut Producer Companiesestablished in Kerala ............................. 24

Production of Neera ............................... 25Sunil A. Nair, Mejosh Jose, Regi J. Thomas,R.V. Nair

Focus on commercialisation oftechnologies to capitalise theopportunities for neera .......................... 27Jayashree.A

Lakshadweep realizes the potentialof Neera................................................... 30

Sasikumar C

Neera Production through CPS,CPF andProducer Companies ............................. 32

Recommendations ofNeera Committee ................................... 33

Health benefits of coconut nectar ......... 34

Our great green umbrellas .................... 35G.S.Unnikrisnan Nair

Black headed caterpillar spreads acrossVisakhapatnam ...................................................... 38

Tiptur coconut ravaged by pestsand diseases .......................................................... 39

News ....................................................................... 40

Karnataka farmers visited Coconut Development Board Farm Review Meeting Symposium on Neera Expert Committee for revitalizing the Regional Commodity Exchanges visited CDB Meeting of the leaders of Thrissur District CPF Kozhikode district Coconut Producers Federation leaders workshop Fruit Festival-2013 FoCT and CPS programme spreading across India Krishi Fair 2013

Monthly operations in coconut gardens...45

Market Review - April 2013 .................................... 47

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

2/48

2 Indian Coconut JournalMay 2013

Dear Coconut Farmers,The coconut farmers are in a very precarious situation

for quite some time due to multiple issues beset with the

sector. Frequent fluctuation and fall in price of coconut,severity of many pests and diseases, rocketing escalationof input cost, fragmentation of holdings etc. are a fewto cite. Coconut plantations were subjected to utternegligence and resultantly coconut farming becomes anon-profitable enterprise. When monetary value andprofitability are the criteria for nurturing crops, manyother crops made inroads and coconut is gettingsubstituted. In fact it is not a replacement of a tree but areplacement of a culture.

The need for reviving coconut sector has thereforebecome imperative and ways and means for a revival is

on the agenda of all stakeholders and policy makers.Delinking coconut economy from the clutches of copra-coconut oil over dependency, coupled with developingand popularizing more value added products fromcoconut has been brought out as a viable strategy forregaining the lost glory of coconut. CoconutDevelopment Board is instrumental in advocating thismessage. Neera is the latest addition in the array of valueadded products which holds the potential to revitalizethe prospects of coconut farmers of India.

Neera is the sweet, oyster white coloured sap tappedfrom the spathe of coconut. It is a delicious health

drink, a rich source of sugars, minerals and vitamins.The most significant characteristic of the product is itslow Glycemic Index (GI is 35), an indicator of the extentof sugar absorbed into the blood. Foods with GI lessthan 55 are classified as low GI foods. The globaldemand for low GI sugar are on the increase and henceNeera and coconut palm sugar as the natural productcan fill up this gap.

A coconut palm yields on an average two litres of Neera per day, which may go even up to 4.5 to 5.0 litresbased on the health and management of the palm. Neerais an unfermented drink which does not contain alcohol.

But on fermentation neera becomes toddy. Therefore,neera production requires adherence of strict proceduresand cautious handling. Neera is the raw material formany value added products like palm syrup, palm jaggeryand palm sugar which are having high domestic andinternational demand owing to their high nutritionalvalues.

In India, coconut is being cultivated by ten millionfamilies. Let us consider the case of Kerala where existingcoconut palm population is around 1800 lakh. If aminimum of 1% of these palms are utilized for neeratapping, there will be 18 lakh palms for this purpose. A

Neera for the revival of coconut economyNeera tapper can ideally tap around 15-20 palms perday. Based on this assumption, employment potentialestimated is one lakh. Evidently this would be 10 lakh if

we employ 10% of the total palms for Neera production.If farmers are allowed to produce Neera and its valueadded products, it can generate good daily return tothe coconut farmer and the Neera tapper.

The Abkari Act of Kerala (Act 10 of 1967) containsdefinitions which wrongly included the zero alcoholNeera into Toddy and thus as Liquor. Section 3(10) of the act say that Liquor includes spirits of wine,arrack, spirits, wine, toddy, beer and all liquidconsisting or containing alcohol . This statementemphasizes that any liquid which consists of or containsalcohol is liquor. Under Section 3(8) of the act Toddy

means fermented or unfermented juice drawn fromcoconut, palmyra, date or any other kind of palmtree . This is a contradiction. Unfermented juice of coconut palm is included under toddy even when it doesnot contain alcohol. This definition of Neera defeats theintention of the law makers since it gives a wronginterpretation of a natural nutritious health drink.

It is pertinent that the Abkari Act came at a timewhen food processing technology was not advancedand there was no process for maintaining Neera inunfermented stage. Now with the advent of technologiesit is high time that necessary changes are made in the

Abkari Act which was conceived 111 years ago . Hence,amendments in the Abkari Act is the need of the hour.Otherwise neera has to be excluded from the definitionof liquor and clear legislation need to be evolved forNeera as a nutritious health drink.

Neera production in Kerala can contributesubstantially to the Gross State Domestic Production(GSDP). If 50% of the consumer price of Neera isoffered to coconut farmer, 25% to Neera technicianand remaining 25% towards processing, packaging andmarketing costs, it can result in an all round increase inthe incomes of all stakeholders. Neera can kick start a

whole lot of food processing industries too. The exportpotential of coconut palm sugar made of Neera fromKerala could be double that of the software export fromthe state!

When 10% of the palms in the state is subject totapping, the returns from Neera to the GSDP amountsto Rs. 54,000 crores (Market price of Neera is taken asRs.100 per litre). The generation of rural employmentthrough Neera technicians is around 10 lakhs. The totalincome to the work force of Neera technicians throughproduction of Neera is around Rs.13,500 crores whilethe income of the coconut farmers is to the tune of

Chairmans page

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

3/48

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

4/48


Coconut Neera - the hidden unexplored treasureK. Muralidharan and Deepthi Nair. S.

Director and Marketing Officer, Coconut Development Board, Kochi

Neera is dominating the pagesof the fourth estate for some timenow. The talk on Neera started inrecent times due to the price crashin the coconut sector which startedin the fag end of 2011 and hascrippled the coconut farmers of theentire country. Around 10 millionhouseholds depend on coconuteconomy and the setback in the

sector has affected the income of the state drastically. Prospects forreviving the coconut sector wereexplored and Neera surfaced.

Lots of speculations andscepticism dominate the minds of the general public regarding Neera.Neera on fermentation becomestoddy. Coconut farmers who havebeen giving their palms for tappingare well versed with the healthbenefits of Neera from timeimmemorial and are known toconsume the same in theunfermented form. It is even givento kids and pregnant women.Traditional knowledge on Neeraprevailed even before technologydeveloped for Neera processing.

What is Neera?

Neera is the sweet, oyster whitecoloured sap tapped from theimmature inflorescence of coconut.It is a delicious health drink and arich source of natural sugars,minerals and vitamins. It containssubstantial amounts of iron,phosphorus and ascorbic acid. Theimmature inflorescence which isabout to burst is the stage at whichNeera tapping is done. It takes 12

to 15 days for the sap to exude fromthe inflorescence tip. Tapping isdone usually for a period of sixmonths only. A coconut palm can

yield, on an average two litres of Neera per day, which may go evenup to 4.5 litres per day based on thehealth of the palm and managementof the garden.

Neera tapping requiresadherence to strict procedures rightfrom the collection of the first drop.This is because the sap on extrudingcomes into contact with air and theprocess of fermentation is initiated.Technologies have been developedby institutions like KeralaAgricultural University, CentralFood Technological ResearchInstitute and Defence FoodResearch Laboratory for arrestingthe fermentation process. Thecollected Neera is then subjectedto filtration, refrigeration,centrifuging, processing andpackaging. The processed producthas a shelf life up to one year. Apartfrom this, value added products likepalm syrup, palm jaggery and palmsugar are produced from Neera.

Table 1 NutritionalComposition of Neera

Theme article

Total solids(g/100 ml) 15.2-19.7

pH 3.9-4.7Specific gravity 1.058-1.077Total sugars(g/100 ml) 14.40

Original reducingsugars (g/100 ml) 5.58

Total reducingsugars (g/100 ml) 9.85

Total ash(g/100 ml) 0.11-0.41Citric acid(g/100 ml) 0.50

Alcohol in % nilIron (g/100 ml) 0.15Phosphorus(g/100 ml) 7.59

Ascorbic acid(mg/100 ml) 16-30

Total protein(g/100 ml) 0.23-0.32

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

5/48

5Indian Coconut JournalMay 2013

Palm syrup : Boiling the sap undermoderate to low heat yields agolden brown sticky liquid with highmineral content which is calledpalm syrup. It is free from total fats

and cholesterol with a sucrosecontent of 50% and a glycemicindex of 35 GI. It can be used forhealthy food preparations, astopping on wide variety of appetizers, desserts or beverages.It is also used in Ayurveda and othersystems of medicine.

Palm jaggery : Further boiling andcrystallization of the sap in moulds

yields palm jaggery. It is used as aindex. Low GI food findsapplications in proper control of Diabetes mellitus and in loweringcholesterol levels. The GI of tablesugar is nearly 60 while that of palmsugar is only 35. Generally GI below55 is considered low. It is also goodfor weight maintenance preventingover weight and obesity. The

product has increased demand inthe domestic and internationalmarkets. It is a good substitute forcommercial sweetners available inthe market.

Potential of Neera products

We are living in an era whereconsumers are more conscious of health and quality. If cost was thedeciding factor for purchase in the20th century; aspirations, health andquality decide the purchasingdecisions today. With healthynutrient rich products like Neera

and palm sugar, developing andestablishing a market space, both indomestic and export market offersimmense potential. The global

Component Quantity inmgThiamine 21.00Riboflavin 432.00Nicotonic Acid 5.24Ascorbic Acid 11.00

Table 2 - Nutritionalcomposition of coconut palm

jaggery (in 100 g. )

Table 3 - Nutritionalcomposition of coconutpalm sugar (in 100 g)

Component QuantityMoisture 0.06 %Protein 432 mgMinerals 5.24 mgCarbohydrate 11.0 mgCalcium 18.9 mgPhosphorous 1.9 mgIron 5.2 mg

sweetening agent for thepreparation of desserts, dishes andis superior to cane jaggery.

Palm sugar : Boiling the sap andpreparation of granular palm sugaris the value added product of thefuture with immense potential fromNeera. The application of this palmsugar is enormous owing to the highnutrient content and low glycemic

Theme article

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

6/48


demand for low calorie reducedsugar and sugar free products isincreasing day by day with theincreasing health awareness in thefood market. The increase in the

number of people with obesity,diabetes and dental caries is alsoalarming and Neera and coconutpalm sugar can provide a healthyviable option. Neera and itsproducts are also rich in mineralsand vitamins.

As such by permitting tapping of Neera and production of valueadded products from Neera willgenerate daily returns to thecoconut farmer and the Neeratapper. Daily income will increasethe standard of living of thestakeholders. Moreover thepotential for employment generationin the sector is so huge that in asituation when job opportunities inthe Middle East are dwindling withpeople returning after being turnedout from the Middle east, Neeratapping offers huge potential.

Apprehensions about Neera

Many apprehensions are invogue in the minds of theGovernment, policy makers, tradeunion leaders, general public etc onNeera. A major apprehension speltout during discussions was thatallowing Neera tapping by coconutfarmers will lead to alcoholicaddiction among the farmers andthe public. When Neera doesnotcontain any alcohol, there is noquestion of Neera causing alcoholicaddiction. Moreover, Neera can bescientifically processed and packedmaintaining its zero alcohol content.The nutritional and health attributesof Neera make it an excellent healthdrink. Consumption of Neera is inno way going to lead to alcoholicaddiction.

Coconut Development Board isspearheading the formation of farmer collectives called CoconutProducer Societies (CPS) in thedifferent districts and the integration

of the collectives to formfederations. These federations andCoconut Producers Companies canform the base for permitting tappingof Neera processing, branding andmarketing.

The way about in Neeraprocessing

Neera tapping is to be done in atransparent manner under

controlled conditions. An ideal legaland administrative frame work needs to be developed beforeimplementing the same. Thisdoesnt imply that all 18 lakhcoconut palms are going to betapped from the same day. Neerais a potential product with manyhealth benefitting properties.Coconut cultivating countries allover the world are making use of this potential to make various valueadded products from Neera. Theprice situation in coconut is patheticdue to drastic price fall. The 10million farmers engaged in coconutcultivation have to be saved fromthis distress. When we have apotential product like Neera, whynot relook into the possibilities in

Neera tapping and devise a supportsystem for the same. This is thebase of the voices that advocateNeera tapping. Neera tapping andproduction, processing and

packaging be undertaken under theauspices of collectives of coconutfarmers.

Green collar jobs - Neeratechnicians

Neera tapping is a skilled job asthe skill of the tapper has impacton the quantum of Neera produced.CDB has advocated for thedevelopment of a skilled task force

called Neera technician for tappingof Neera. Thus a green collar jobis developed where the person canstay at home with his family, dotapping and earn incomes higherthan those obtained by the majorityof NRI in the Middle East. Trainingsof 45 days duration can be given tothe Neera technicians since yield of sap depend on the skill of the tapper.Value of Neera tapped could beshared between the farmer and theNeera technician in a fixedproportion so that both thestakeholders are benefited and thesector emerges in a sustainedmanner.

Neera and the Abkari Act

Neera is a non alcoholic mineral

Under the Abkari act, the definitions are:

! 3(8) Toddy means fermented or unfermented juice drawn from a coconut, palmyra, date or any other kind of palm tree.

! 3(10) Liquor includes spirits of wine, arrack, spirits, wine, toddy,beer and all liquid consisting or containing alcohol.

This statement emphasises that any liquid which consists or containsalcohol is liquor.

! 3 (12) Country liquor means toddy or arrack.

This itself is a contradiction since unfermented juice of coconutis included under toddy even when it does not contain or consists ofalcohol.

Theme article

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

7/48


The juice of coconut tree can be transformedinto a sugar as soft as honey. Nature created thisproduct such that it could not be processed infactories. Palm sugar can only be produced in palmtree habitats Local populations can easily turn nectarinto coconut blossom sugar. It is a way to solve theworlds poverty. It is also an antidote against misery.

Mohandas K Gandhi 3.5.1939

Mahatma Gandhi largely experimented with food;it was important to him. His personal diet wasvegetarian and consisted of 1 litre goats milk, 150gwheat and rice, 75 g leafy vegetables, 125g othervegetables, 25g lettuce 40g ghee and 40-50g coconutblossom sugar.

These are the wordings inscribed on palm sugarproducts of different brands produced in countrieslike Indonesia and Phillippines for promoting theirbrands. We, in India, simply overlooked the potentialof this wonderful product.

Restricting tapping of Neerathrough inclusion under Abkari actand restricting the fundamental rightof a farmers is totallyunconstitutional, illogical andunjustifiable . Any farmer growingany agricultural crop has thefreedom to harvest it in the formwhich fetches more revenue to him,like mango harvested at ripe stage,rubber sold as latex or sheets. Thesame freedom should be extendedto coconut farmers also.

Coconut farmers are goingthrough a crisis related to price falland diversification to other valueadded products from coconut isthe only way out. Under thesecircumstances, Neera being a highpotential product, the farmersshould be allowed to exploit theprospects of this product for thebenefit of the sector.

In order to remove theanomalies and bring about justiceamendment in Abkari Act of thestates by excluding Neera from itsprovisions is the need of the hour.

The fact that the juice may fermentto produce alcohol also goesunwarranted. Fermentation andproduction of alcohol occurs inany fruit juice or liquids with

starch content.CDB stand on Neera

Neera is a non alcoholic mineralrich and nutritious health drink extracted by tapping the immatureinflorescence of the coconut palm.Neera should be brought out of theAbkari act since it is unfermentedinflorescence sap. Inclusion of a nonalcoholic drink like Neera under theAbkari act is not justifiable. Neera,which is non alcoholic is includedunder the definition of toddy in theAbkari act. Toddy is a fermenteddrink with 7 to 9% alcohol contentand is classified as liquor. Neeracannot be classified under Toddy orliquor. Neera doesnt come underthe purview of the Excise act in anyof the coconut producing countries.

Neera which was classified undertoddy in the erstwhile British Act

was later excluded since it was nonalcoholic. It is high time thatnecessary changes are made in theAbkari act which was conceived asearly as 1902. The technological

advances made in the processingand packing of Neera ensures thatit is maintained a zero alcohol drink.Hence amendments in the Abkariact is the need of the hour.

If still included in Abkari act,separate definition be made forNeera in Abkari act as a separatehead with distinct legislation forNeera tapping processing and

packaging. Scientificallyprocessed and packed Neeracan be promoted as anutritionally healthy drink.Consumption of Neera will not leadto alcoholic addiction as perceivedby the public. Awarenessprogrammes on Neera to beconducted throughout the states.Promotion of Neera should beundertaken among the commonman also since there is perceptionthat Neera contains alcohol.

rich and nutritious health drink extracted by tapping the immatureinflorescence of the coconut palm.Though non alcoholic, it is comingunder the purview of Abkari act.

Neera has to be released from theambit of the Abkari act .

Theme article

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

8/48


Neera and Toddy should bemaintained as separate entities.Marketing of processed and packedNeera should not come under thepurview of Abkari act. CDB

strongly advocates that Neeratapping and production, processingand packaging be undertaken underthe auspices of Federations of Coconut Producers Societiesregistered with CoconutDevelopment Board. The nonavailability of palms for tapping ismainly because the coconut farmersare paid a meagre amount as leasewhich is not economically beneficialfor them. Ensuring a remunerativerevenue for the coconut farmer fortapping of the palms will ensureavailability of good, yielding, healthypalms for tapping, which in turn willresult in increased yields. Thescarcity of skilled labour for tappingis also a limiting factor.

CDB will facilitate submission of detailed project proposals for Neera

production, processing andpackaging and value addition toproduce other products by selectedfederated CPS based on thetechnology from KAU/ CSIR.CDB would facilitate formation of CPS and integrating them to form

support for the preservation andpacking of Neera through KAU orDepartment of Horticulture,Karnataka to the entrepreneurialventures of the Federations andProducer Companies. CDB canextend financial support to theenterprises of CPS/ Federations/ Producer Companies through thescheme Technology Mission onCoconut where financial assistancecan be provided @ 25% in additionto the support for processing unitsannounced by Government of Kerala. The process of tapping of

Neera till the processing andpackaging can come under thepurview of the act for preventingany misus. But processing into otherproducts like syrup, jaggery andsugar would be as per FSSAInorms.

The processing of Neera shouldbe done under the strict supervisionof officials of technology providersfor a definite period till the sectorand the process stabilizes. TappedNeera as such, should not betransported outside the districtwhere it is produced thus preventingchances for misuse. Value of Neeratapped should be shared between

the farmer and the Neera technicianin a fixed proportion so that both thestakeholders are benefited and thesector emerges in a sustainedmanner.

It is time we wake up and acttogether to pioneer ventures inNeera production and processingwhich will take this crop, theKalpavriksha, to newer heights.

federations andP r o d u c e rCompanies andselection of eligible CPS/

Federations forNeera tapping.CDB canfacilitate thedevelopment of the skilled task force which istermed asN e e r atechnician inassociation withKAU. CDB canf a c i l i t a t etechnological

Theme article

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

9/48


Keraamritham- a health drink fromcoconut inflorescence sap

B. Jayaprakash Naik 1, P R Suresh 2, Meera Manjusha 3, P V Balachandran 4

Madhusubramonian 5 and PC Balakrishnan 61 Associate Director of Research Coconut Mission, 2Professor, College of Agriculture, Padannakkad, Nileshwar,

3 Asst. Professor, RARS, Pilicode, 4 Director of Extension Education, Kerala Agricultural University, Mannuthy,Thrissur, 5COH, Vellanikkara, Assistant Professor and 6 Rtd. Associate Director(Coconut Mission),

Kerala Agricultural University.

Kerala Agricultural University has developed methods for extraction of sapand its collection without fermentation and further preservation of it asKeraamritham- an alcohol free product from coconut inflorescence (neera),and also preparation of Palm jaggery (Kerachakkara) and palm honey.

Coconut is one of the mostimportant crops of Kerala. It is usedmainly for culinary purpose (30%)and for copra 70% (ie., 85% foroil & 15% for ball copra). Only 2%of the nuts are used as tender nuts.However, given the high cost of cultivation and low price that theprimary produce fetches, thepopularity of coconut is on the

decline. Arresting this fall requiresmethods to make the crop moreremunerative. Value addition andproduct diversification remain themost viable but least explored areasas the coconut is concerned.Amidst various possibilities like nut,copra, oil etc, the coconutinflorescence sap offer itself as anunexplored yet promising candidatefor product diversification in severalcounts like regularity of production,less time in realizing income,reduced impact of pest anddiseases like eryiophid mite, mahalietc.

Coconut Inflorescence sap is asweet juice exuding from theunopened inflorescence - the spatheof coconut palms by selective

cutting of it. The process is calledtapping and it is a traditionalpractice of almost all coconutgrowing places specially the islands.The origin of this practice is veryold and supposed to be as old acoconut cultivation. In communitiesliving in islands the people wereusing it for preparation of sugars

and beverages. The spathe beforeopening is selected for theextraction of sap called neera. Atpresent the juice extracted iscollected in earthen vessels and

allowed to natural fermentation byyeast and juice transform toToddy a non distilled alcoholicbeverage of specific odour andtaste. If the fermentation processesare arrested the juice obtained isvery sweet and nutritious and it canbe used as non alcoholic beverageand can be used for preparation of palm sugar or palm jaggery/ palmgur. The practice of jaggery

making is also common in manyplaces and in most of the practicesthey collect the sap in a mild solutionof slaked lime prepared from oystershells which is also a naturalmaterial abundantly available incoastal places. This is also atraditional knowledge of localcommunities.

But the jaggery made using such

local technology many a times hasbad physical properties and keepingquality. More over the residue of slaked lime remaining in the producereduce its palatability and consumeracceptance.

Keraamritham : Technologies havebeen standardised for arrestingfermentation of n eera and its

Theme article

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

10/48

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

11/48


Production of Neera and coconut sugardeserves encouragement

P.K.ThampanPresident, Peekay Tree Crops Development Foundation,

MIG-141,Gandhi Nagar, Kochi. E-mail:[email protected]

Along the coastal belts of Indiawhere coconut farming isconcentrated, the farmers, ingeneral are small and marginal.They do not derive adequateincome from the small holdings tosupport the basic family needs norhave opportunities for other incomegenerating activities in their rural

surroundings. The farmers whodepend exclusively on coconutculture are mostly underemployedfor want of coconut-basedprocessing at the farm-householdand community levels. Costeffective and labour intensiveprocessing activities assumeimportance in such a situation forwhich the coconut palm offers

many possibilities. One activity thatcould be organized in the coconutgrowing belts for enhancing theincome and employment of thosewho are directly or indirectlyassociated with coconut culture isthe production and marketing of sweet toddy or neera as a healthdrink and a source of sugar.

Production and Marketing of Neera as a Health Drink

The fresh coconut sap or sweettoddy or neera obtained by tappingthe unopened spadix of the coconutpalm is an excellent beverage anda rich source of sugar. In householdsneera finds application in thepreparation of a variety of

breakfast cakes and snacks. Beinga good source of bakers yeast it ispreferred in such preparations as itimparts good flavor and fluffyconsistency to the cooked food.Unfermented sweet toddy or neeracould be promoted as a health drink.It contains around 16 percentcarbohydrates, with sucrose as the

main constituent and small amountsof glucose, fructose, inositol andraffinose. It has a neutral pH, 16amino acids with glutamic acid,threonine and aspartic acid formingthe major constituents and smallamounts of vitamins. Theconstituents of neera in g/100 ml aremoisture-84.42; ether extractives-0.04; carbohydrates-15.16; protein-0.12 and ash-0.26.

Theme article

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

12/48


Theme article

In the Ayurvedic medical systemneera is considered beneficial topregnant women and emaciatedchildren. Consumption of neera bypregnant women three or four daysin a week is believed to impart good

colour to the baby. Likewise, dailyconsumption of small dose of neerais recommended for healthy growthof emaciated children. Techniquesfor preventing spontaneousfermentation of neera are nowavailable. Among the south Asiancountries Sri Lanka is in theforefront by making availablecanned sweet toddy in the domestic

and external markets.Tapping for neera to be used as

a health drink and also as a sourceof coconut sugar is a viable sourceof income and employment for thecoconut farmers. Although it isencouraged in many coconut-growing countries it is yet to bepromoted in India. The onlyexception is small pockets in TamilNadu where the production of coconut sugar has continued overthe years as a traditional ruralactivity. The production andmarketing of neera and sugar couldbe successfully organized in themajor coconut growing states of India for the benefit of the coconutfarming community.

The Economics of Tapping forNeera

Toddy tapping and the sale of sweet toddy offer opportunities tococonut farmers for enhancing on-farm income and employment. In astudy on tapping conducted inKerala in 1998 by Peekay TreeCrops Development Foundation(PTCDF) the gross incomerecorded for 30 gardens wasRs.269,356 per ha per annum witha net income of Rs.139,661. Thedetails are shown in Table 1.

In a case study conducted in theVechoor Island, Kerala by PTCDF

it was observed that the farmeremployed one professional tapperfor a unit of 20 trees. For the first15 days when there was no toddyyield the worker was paid a dailywage of Rs.150 for preparing thetrees. After toddy yield commencedthe average yield was around onelitre per palm per day or 20 litresfrom the unit of 20 trees. Followingthis, the yield increased to around2-2.5 litres per palm per day or anaverage of 45 litres from 20 trees.The wages for the tapper after thetoddy yield commenced were @ of Rs.4 per litre of toddy collected. Theaverage yield of toddy from 20trees was 1,200 litres for twomonths and 12,825 litres for 9.5months, totaling 14,025 litres. Thetotal wages paid to the tapper for

one year was Rs.58,350. By selling14,025 litres of toddy at the rate of Rs.15 per litre the farmer receiveda gross income of Rs.2,10,375,which left Rs.152,025 as net incomeor Rs.7,601.25 per tree per annum.

As the investment on tapping knifeand pots was not much it was notaccounted for. The net income fromtapping was found to be 19 timeshigher than that from untappedtrees which were in the yield groupof 60-75 nuts per palm per annum.The opinion of the farmer was thatthe toddy yield increases with goodmanagement and that not only thenumber of nuts but the kernel out-

turn per nut also increases after atapping period of two years.

In a field study conducted in thesame year the average yield of toddy recorded for 68 palms was1.99 litres per palm per day. Thesepalms were assigned by the farmersfor tapping on rental basis toprofessional tappers and the rentalreceipt averaged Rs.56.47 per palm

per month. In the surveyed area thepractice was to allow tapping for6-9 months in a year. If one-thirdof the palms in a garden or 60palms per ha are allowed to betapped for 9 months, the averagerental receipt at the rate recordedin the study will be aroundRs.30,500 over the tapping period.This income from tapping issubstantially higher than that

Table-1

Size group ofgardens (ha)

Averagesize(ha)

Share ofTapping

and otheractivities onincome (%)

Share ofcoconut

onincome

(%)

Averagegross

income perholding (Rs.)

Averagegross

incomeper ha(Rs.)

Averagenet

incomeper ha(Rs.)

0.1&below 0.054 83 17 7,945 1,47,145 1,36,219Above 0.1 & upto 0.4 0.213 69 31 36,394 1,71,134 1,38,600Above 0.4 2.190 92 8 6,05,961 2,76,274 1,39,757Total / Average 1.171 91 9 3,15,488 2,69,356 1,39,661

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

13/48


obtained from untapped trees. Theexperience of the farmers coveredin the study was that leaving uptoone-third of the palms in a gardenfor tapping will not cause significant

reduction in the production of nutsbecause most of the palmsearmarked for tapping are eitheralternate bearers or poor yielders.They were also of the view that thetrees left for tapping at 9 monthrotation usually exhibit higherproduction potential during the posttapping phase.

It is possible to assign trees bothfor tapping and nut production. Thisis done by tapping only alternatespathes or by tapping only half thelength of each spathe and leavingthe lower half for nut production.The observations made in India andother countries show that 20-25%of the palms in each garden couldbe earmarked for tapping withoutcausing significant reduction in theannual production of nuts from such

gardens.Production and Marketing of Coconut Sugar

The production of coconut sugarfrom unfermented sap is a profitableon-farm activity and is encouragedin many coconut growing countriesfor local consumption as well as forexport marketing. The experiencein countries like Philippines,

Thailand, Indonesia etc. is thatassigning palms for sugarproduction is much more profitableto the farmers than allowing to yieldnuts. In the Philippines the averageincome from palms set aside fortapping and sugar production is 7-10 times that from palms maintainedonly for nut production. In Thailandproducing sugar has been found to

be eight times more profitable thanproducing coconut or copra. In

Indonesia the farmers areencouraged to leave upto 30% of the palms in plantations for sugarproduction. Tapping and sugarproduction also augment on-farmemployment. While 50-60 palms donot require more than 90-100 man-days for annual maintenance, thesame number of palms when utilizedfor tapping and sugar productionwill provide full time employment to

one tapper and one or two womenmembers of the family.

Consumer preference aroundthe world is changing in favour of natural health foods. Coconut sugaris a health food and, as such, canbe targeted to both domestic andglobal markets. There is growingdemand in the developed countriesfor coconut sugar as an alternative

to refined cane sugar. Healthconscious people in India may alsoopt for coconut sugar if qualityproduct becomes available in themarket. In countries like Thailandand Indonesia sugar production isa popular household activity wherespecialized organizations procuresugar from the producing units andis marketed both in the domesticand export markets in attractive zinc

or aluminium containers. Theexport markets cover West Asia,Australia, New Zealand, U.S. andEurope.

In Thailand coconut gardensmaintained exclusively for sugarproduction are found in theprovinces of Samut Sakhon, SamutSongkhram and Samut Prakan. Inthese provinces the average size of gardens is one ha where tappingcommences when the palms are fiveyears old. There are specialcultivars known for their highproduction of sap. In such palms thedaily yield of sweet toddy is up tofour litres and the tapping isgenerally continued for 10-11months. These varieties are Tha-leBa, Suricha, Sai Bua, Theung Bong,Kathi and Khi Kai.

In Indonesia production of coconut sugar is a popularhousehold activity in 26 of the 27provinces. According to a recentreport, in the Banyumas districtalone there are about 28,773 palmsugar making units employing about58,500 workers. Although mencollect the sap and lend a hand inthe molding process, the householdwomen take care of the processing.About 75% of the total productiongoes to big cities for localconsumption and also for export toSingapore, Malaysia and MiddleEast.

Apart from solid palm sugaranother useful product that could bemade out of unfermented sap istreacle or sugar syrup. The syrupis a golden coloured product and therecovery is 16% of the sap used. Itis a delicacy and its use is preferredas bread spread in place of fruit jamand a sweetening agent for specialbreakfast dishes.

Theme article

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

14/48


Theme article

Suggestions

1.Neera Production

The production and marketing of neera as a health drink has to be

permitted in the major coconutgrowing states of India whererestrictions on tapping is presentlyprevalent. Processing units forproducing canned/bottled neerashall be promoted in suitablelocations and appropriatetechnology for the same shall betransferred to promisingentrepreneurs. To start with, thepermission for tapping for neera,

collecting, assembling, furtherprocessing, bottling the product andmarketing shall be given only tococonut farmers producercompanies under propergovernment control.

2. Production of Coconut Sugar

When sugar production isorganized as a rural activity underthe aegis of growers cooperatives,it could generate additional incomeand employment to a sizeablesection of the rural community. Itis possible to provide trainingfacilities to selected village youth inthe different states for palmclimbing, tapping and manufactureof sugar. The production andmarketing of sugar as a cottageindustry in the cooperative sectorcan ensure direct employment tovillage youth without genderdifference. To facilitate this activity,the state governments shall permitand encourage tapping for sugarproduction subject to restrictionssuch as that not more than 25% of

the bearing palms in a garden areto be earmarked for tapping andsuch palms shall have a restingperiod of not less than three monthsin a year.

When the production of sugar isorganized in the cooperative sector,adequate quality control could beenforced at different stages such ascollection of sap, assembling, boilingand conversion in to pellets, cubes,crystalline sugar etc. Apexorganizations may undertakeprocurement of sugar fromproducing centres and itspackaging, and marketing in thedomestic and export markets. Theexisting Coconut Farmers Societiesand Federations in Kerala could bedirect participants of theprogramme.

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

15/48


Coconut palms suitable for

Neera tappingJnanadevan. R Deputy Director,

Directorate of Cashew and Cocoa Development, Kochi

Coconut palm is commonly regarded as an oil seedcrop of tree origin in India. High cost of productionand low profit is the main problem now faced by thecoconut farmers. Though several value added coconutproducts have been developed through R&D efforts,profitability of this crop still depends on price of coconutoil. The price of coconut oil is fluctuating widely and itsdemand is influenced by the availability and pricebehavior of other comparable oils. There is an urgentneed to make coconut industry profitable throughprocessing and value addition. Production of neera, ahealthy drink obtained by tapping the unopenedinflorescence and extraction of palm sugar from neeraare highly profitable industry in many other coconutgrowing countries which is yet to be started in India.Unfermented sap from young inflorescence called

Neera, in India, Raa in Sri Lanka and Tuba inPhilippines has rather high sucrose content. Whileselecting palms for tapping neera, several factors are tobe taken in to consideration to get economic neera yield.

The yield of neera and sugar is highly variable. Itvaries considerably from palm to palm season toseason, and spadix to spadix. It differs with palmvariety, palm vigour and season. Naturally, the growingconditions of the palm and its vigour play an importantrole in neera production. It is reported that average

yield of sap per day with 8 months tapping per year inSri Lanka is 1.5 liter. The sap flow is closely associatedwith the leaves water content and the internal watercondition of the trees. Neera yield will be decreasedconsiderably when the water content of the leaves

declined. The sugar content also varies with seasonand sap flow. The yield of neera and sugar is adverselyaffected by low rainfall, particularly when the soil waterreserves are low and the palms suffer from waterstress. As the flow of neera decreases with increasingtranspiration, high temperatures and low relativehumidity have similar effects. Hence tapping is plannedaccordingly to avoid severe water stress period. Sapproduction is relatively high at night, due to reducedtranspiration and increased sap pressure. Once thetapping stopped, nut yield may show a temporaryincrease compared to the normal nut yield of the palmespecially in low yielding palms.

High yielding young and well cared palms have beenfound to yield good quantity of Neera. Neera yieldalso varies with variety. Talls palms yield more neerathan dwarf palms. Dwarf palms are highly suitable fortapping due to its short stature and high density of palmper unit area. The yield of neera will be less since thesize and length of spadix is short in most of the dwarf varieties compared to tall and hybrids. But Malaysiandwarf varieties generally healthier than other tall mayyield more neera and prove to be ideal for tapping inview of the advantages for tapping. A good healthytall palm may yield up to 2 liter neera per day andhybrids even more. At a sugar content of about 15%,this would give a sugar yield of 300-400g per palm perday. In Indian conditions it is reported that a highyielding healthy tall tree under good management havepotential to yield 50 liters of sap per spadix during onemoth tapping. If six such healthy trees with long spadix

Theme article

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

16/48


Theme article

is tapped for a period of six months, on an average300 litres of neera can be tapped in an year. At therate of Rs.40/-liter, the total revenue from a tree isestimated as Rs.12,000/- per year. If the tree is nottapped and the six inflorescence are left for normal

nut production the maximum yield anticipated from sixbunches will be 60 mature coconuts and @Rs.7/-pernut the income will beRs.420/-. While selecting palmsfor tapping, care should be taken to select healthymiddle aged good palms for best neera yield. Lowyielding, root (wilt) affected old palms may bediscarded. However more studies are needed forselection of suitable varieties for neera productionunder Indian conditions.

Maturity and length of the spadix selected for

tapping and skill of the tapper are other factors thatdetermine the yield of neera. A spadix tappedprematurely may burst open and become discolored.The discoloration starts at the cut portion. The samemay happen to a spadix tapped when it is over-mature.In both the cases neera production may be muchreduced because there will be a delay in thecommencement of neera flow. In India and Sri Lankathe mature spadix appropriate for tapping is identifiedby observing the swelling appeared at the base of thespadix due to female flowers within un opened

inflorescence. The tapping process is essentially anart, and the results therefore depend upon the skill of the tapper. The technique consists of carefully bruisingand rupturing the tender tissues of the floral branch bygently hammering and pounding the spathe. After aboutthree days, about 5 cm of the apical tissues is slicedoff. The commencement of the flow takes place asearly as 5 days and as late as 32 days after the tip of the spadix had been cut off for the first time. Whenthe sap starts flowing, a container is placed under thedripping spadix. It is reported that the sap flow graduallyincreases and may reach a peak after 3-5 weeks. Thepeak may then continue for 1-3 weeks, after whichthe flow declines. The flow may continue for about amonth until the length of the spathe is reduced to alength of about 10-15 cm after repeated slicing. Theproductive period depend on the spadix length. Palmswith relatively low nut yields also have shorterproductive period of the spadix than high yielders. Toprevent sap fermentation after slicing, the fresh cut

may be brushed with some lime, or some lime watermay be put in the container. The most effectiveharvesting cycle is twice a day. If, for any reason thespadix is not sliced for a period of two days, a type of healing latex exudes from the wound which impedesthe sap flow. Two weeks of tapping will then berequired to recover normal sap production. Sometimesa closed spadix has to be abandoned. One or two daysrest for the harvester may lead to a production loss of 15-20 days. It is therefore important that tapping beperformed by a team, whose members can substituteeach other in case of sickness, etc.

So in conclusion neera tapping and coconut palmsugar industry can be a welcome source of higherincome for smallholders and to make coconut farmingprofitable in future, especially in situations where copraprices are low. Neera tapping and palm sugar producingunits are to be established at suitable locations by thecoconut farmers collectives like other major coconutgrowing countries, Philippines and Indonesia. Thequantity of neera and sugar production varies withgrowing conditions; extend of management practicesadopted, varieties, age and climatic conditions. Henceit is advisable to select well cared middle aged highyielding tall and hybrid palms for tapping to get goodquantity neera and sugar. Malayan dwarf varieties alsocan be selected considering its short height advantage.However more studies on neera yield and sugar contentin different varieties in India need to be conducted.

When coconut trees are tapped for the purpose of sap production, the tree's ability to produce coconutsfor various uses is not lost. Research conducted in thePhilippines at the Davao Research Center during 1988-1991 showed the viability of producing both sap andcoconuts in sequence in the same unopened spadices(stems) of coconut palms. This technology involvestapping for coconut sap in the first half of the spathe(blossoms), and allowing the remaining half to developnormally, ultimately producing fully mature 12 month-old coconuts. This research further revealed, thatincorporating this innovative new method increased

productivity of sap and nut yields 5-7 times higher thantraditional methods.

Tapping for coconut nectar increaseproductivity of sap and nut yields

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

17/48


Bio Beverage - Coco NeeraR. Hali

The author is former Director of Agriculture, Kerala and former special consultant to M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai

Globalization and emergence of World Trade Organization have put

tremendous pressure and at thesame time created awarenessamong the developing nations tointensify the efforts for finding outfarm produce which could earn fast,wide and profitable consumeracceptance. In this context whenyou hear that a coconut palm iscapable to produce sweet floral sapworth Rs. 50,000 annually, it is bothsensational and stimulating. A not

so very impressive coconut palm atCherthalai, in Alleppey District,Kerala, like several others indifferent parts of the state, isproviding every day three liters of sweet toddy or neera earning aminimum Rs. 120 per kit. I climbthe palm thrice daily except duringa few days in the worst dry periodand bring down a minimum of threeliters of sweet toddy claims thirtyyear old sturdy tapper Shri.Anirudhan. Though the palm isover thirty six year old, this has beensubjected to tapping for last twentyyears, he said.

Shri. Anirudhan the tapper, Shri.M D Thomas, the owner of the palmand Shri. T. S. Viswan, the formerAgricultural Officer, severaltappers and trade union leaders

have more hope generatingexperiences to narrate. Before that

let us have a close look at the superqualities of sweet toddy.

bronchial suffocation and piles.Even today a glass of neera beforegoing to bed is a grandmasprescription to pregnant women andyoung girls to make the skin colourmore charming. Unlike in the past,unfermented sweet toddy could bepromoted as a health drink astechniques for preserving neerawithout undergoing fermentation forfew weeks or months is available

The potential of neera as a nutritious health drink is widelydiscussed and deliberated in recent days. Indian CoconutJournal realised the potential and prospects of neera well ahead.An article published in the November 2004 issue of IndianCoconut Journal is reproduced here for information of readers.

Coconut phloem sap, thechoicest health drink produced bytapping the unopened spadix of thecoconut tree, is called Neera inTamil Nadu and Kerala; Tube inPhilippines and Tuvak inIndonesia. Sweet toddy is rich incarbohydrates with sucrose as itsmain constituent. It is unctuous andcool in effect. Hailed as highlyrejuvenative in traditional medicinalsystems it is recommended for thecure of anaemia, tuberculosis,

now. Sri Lanka and Philippines arehaving coconut gardens maintainedexclusively for producing toddy.Indonesia is the largest producer of sweet toddy for making jaggery andsugar. It is reported that Shri Lankais producing and exporting 1 lakhlitre of Arrack made out of coconut toddy. But the process topreserve sweet toddy for weeks isopening up opportunities for amassive and gigantic health drink orbeverage industry if exploited wellcommercially.


Theme article

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

18/48


One wonder palm, atCherthalai, produces around Rs.50,000 worth toddy every year, isonly one among several hundredsand there must be more palms

giving even double the yield.Anirudhan, the expert tapperreveals that he climbs the palmthree times daily at 10 a.m., 5 p.m.and 8 p.m., but sweet toddy iscollected during the morning andnight climbs only. The afternoonclimb is to tame the spadix forstimulating the secretion of moresap. But toddy gets during night issweeter. Shri. T. S. Viswan, former

Agriculture Officer and severaltappers union leaders are of theopinion that one could find out moresuch trees in Cherthalai in Alleppeydistrict though the area is prone tococonut root-wilt disease.Scientists have not yet comeforward with a package of practices for boosting the yield frompalms exposed for sweet toddycollection.

Coconut Board of the UnionMinistry of Agriculture has donecommendable job for expandingarea and diversification of coconutproducts in India. Here again thetender coconut promotion deservesvery special kudos. But promotionof sweet toddy as a health drink isyet to gain momentum in thecountry. A lot of information isavailable with traditional experts in

medicine, farmers and tappers onvarious aspects relating to sweettoddy. Among coconut varieties, itis said that hybrids give more toddythan others. The palms of Palghat,Trichur, and Neeleswaram are veryprofuse yielders of sweet toddy.There are palms which give oversix liters of sweet toddy every dayclaims Shri. Anirudhan. Rs. 240

worth of toddy per day is the yield.A tapper becomes an expert in thefield only if he has experience intapping similar type of coconutpalms of Palghat.

Even today toddy drinking is notconsidered as a good habit and thereare movements against the same.But sweet toddy or neeraproduction and consumption arerecommended by Shri. A. P.Udayabhanu Commissionconstituted by Kerala Govt to studythe prohibition of liquor sales in thestate. The bigger obstacle for thepromotion of sweet toddy

production and its sale was the lack of technology to preserve it withoutfermenting. Let us hope, a perfecttechnology on this will come to therescue of coconut growers.

Composition of Neera

Specific Gravity 1.508-1.077Total Solid (g/100ml) 15.2-19.7Sucrose (g/100ml) 12.3-17.4Total ash (g/100ml) 0.11-0.41

Protein (g/100ml) 0.23-0.32Ascorbic acid 16.0-30.0(mg/100ml)

Coconut farming has beenfacing a threat of root wilt inKerala, Tanjore wilt in Tamil Naduand the mite attack in the entiresouth India. Production is goingdown but the trade and labour arenot at all farmer and crop friendly.While consumer has to pay Rs. 10

to 12 per coconut without its husk,the farmer is getting a cost of Rs. 6only. The labour cost is prohibitiveand farmers are not engaging peopleto harvest nuts and instead allowthem to fall. This affects the healthand yield of the palm in the long run.In this context promotion of tendercoconut and sweet toddy as energyand health drink will give a new life

to the coconut care and it mayrevolutionalise the coconut cultureand give a better deal to the coconutgrowers. It is high time to throw thecentury old excise laws for

controlling tapping of coconut treesto the dustbin and declare sweettoddy as a raw material for thebeverage industry.

It is not at all difficult to identify15 to 20 million trees ideal for sweettoddy production from Keralawhere total population exceeds 200million. The country has over 400million coconut palms now. 10million palms are more than enough

to give sweet toddy worth Rs.25000 crores annually. The coconutproduction from the existing 1.9million hectares is only 1259 croresand its cost will not be more thanRs. 6200 crores. From this we couldestimate the huge value additionand the profit the farmer may getif he manages the situation. Thehuge employment it will create inthe production, processing and

marketing sectors will be verylucrative apart from the hugerevenue the government could mopup at different levels as taxes.

The most hearteningdevelopment is that farmersorganizations and scientists havealready detected the greatpossibilities the sweet toddy isoffering. The international coconutsummit held at Kochi hasrecommended that the governmentmay take quick steps to declaresweet toddy as a soft drink. Anothersignificant and specificrecommendation of great repute isfrom the WTO impact and studyreport submitted by M SSwaminathan Commissionconstituted by the Govt. of Kerala.The report is titled as Building a

Theme article


8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

19/48


sustainable Agricultural tradesecurity system for Kerala. TheCommission was chaired by M SSwaminathan, the great IndianAgricultural scientist who is at

present the chairman of NationalAgricultural Commission forfarmers constituted by Govt of India. The report specifically statesthat sweet toddy may commandmassive demand potential and it isa health drink... Like in Karnataka,Kerala should lift all restrictions intapping coconut by farmers forpromoting diversification to sweettoddy and jaggery products.

The report has two sections. Onesection deals with the action to betaken at Govt. of India level and theother deals with the things to beattended by the State Government.May be due to various political andother compulsions not much hasbeen done to implement therecommendations. But here againthe coconut farmer is the looser.Farmers organizations are also

silent in urging the authorities toimplement the suggestions.Diversification and new productsdevelopment are twin paths to bedeveloped for the prosperity of coconut farmer and coconutgrowers. Coconut is now cultivatedin twenty states of India. It is lovedand adored by the entire populationof the country and is hailed as Treeof Heaven. If the sweet toddy

production is transformed into agigantic health drink industry, it willemerge as the largest in theprocessed food sector with a hugeturn over and excellent exportprospects. Sweet toddy productionin Indonesia is stated to be so highthat annually they are producingover one million tonnes of coconutsugar. It is exported to Singapore,

Malaysia and Middle East and israted very high over cane sugar andused as a health food. Australia isa new market for Indonesian sugarexport. According to Shri. P. K.

Thampan, Chairman of P K TreeCrop foundation Kochi, exclusivegardens are maintained in Thailandfor sweet toddy productionconnected with sugar makingwhere tapping of palm commencesat the age of five. From neera thenormal yield of sugar is almost 12per cent and from this we mayestimate the quantity of sweet toddyproduced to prepare and market one

million tonnes of coconut sugar.Sugar is done as a cottage industryin the villages of Indonesia and sothe quantity used for drinking, as abeverage and making syrup are notestimated. It may be noted thatunlike India, beer is treated as a softdrink like coco cola in Indonesia andso it is sold freely in every waysideshop.

India is one of the largest

producers of coconut in the world.Due to pressure of palmoil andsoyabean oil available at a cheaperrate, the use of coconut oil for ediblepurpose is dwindling all over theworld. While India has theadvantage of consuming the entirecoconut produced, major coconutproducing countries like Indonesia,Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, etcare compelled to export coconut,

coconut oil and copra as theirdomestic consumption is lower thantheir total production. They couldexport the above three items at acheaper rate to India if traderestriction is taken away as perWorld Trade Organizationconditions. This is really a threat tothe coconut producers whileindustry and consumers maywelcome the same.

Sweet toddy is nothing new toour people. According to thetraditional books of knowledge the

juice of young spadix of coconutwhen unfermented is a sweet,

refrigerant, aphrodisiac, diuretic,mildly exciting tonic and useful indyspepsia, diarhea, diabetics and forgeneral disability.

When the palm in yourhomestead is ready to give you sucha heavenly health drink, the manmade laws that too proclaimedhundred years ago are prohibitingyou from collecting and using thesame. If collected and sold it will

also give you economic prosperity.It is happening in a state, wherefarmers, politicians and economistsare shouting that coconut cultivationis a huge loss and the golden periodof coconut is over.

Gods own country hails coconutas the Tree of Heaven but so farhas failed to identify its mostpotential produce capable to showgreat monetary gains on itsgrowers. Neera from Nariyal couldbe made the most sought afterhealth drink of the nation suited forall seasons. If just one per cent of the palms are subject to tapping itwill give sweet toddy worth overRs. 10,000 crores. It is easy toenhance the income from palmseveral folds if the market too isdeveloped well. Read the strengthof the Tree of Heaven through thesweet toddy and use the naturesgreat gift to create sustainableprosperity to the growers and to thenation. Coconut is also termed asTree of Plenty and the efficientproduction and marketing of neeraas the natures choicest bio healthdrink will make it a Palm of everlasting prosperity. Time is ripe tocommence the great task.


Theme article

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

20/48


Theme article

Indonesia and Philippines a replicable model togrow sweeter with coconut

Deepthi Nair. S. Marketing Officer, CDB, Kochi

Coconut is grown in the coastalareas in most of the countrieslocated in and around the equatorialregion. India stands first in area,production and productivity of coconut in the world, but the extentof processing of coconut intovarious value added products isinsignificant in the country. Though

coconut has been cultivated fromtime immemorial and referred to asKalpavriksha, we failed tocommercially utilize themultifaceted benefits of this crop.Having ventured into a concertedtime bound plan for productdiversification in coconut, theCocotech seminar held in July 2013was an eye opener for the nationand entrepreneurs interested in

coconut. It provided insights into thevarious avenues for processing andvalue addition in coconut and themost promising of them turned outto be coconut inflorescence sap andits value added products.

The health benefits of Neera, theunfermented coconut inflorescencesap and the production of jaggeryand sugar from the sap was knownfrom early days. Traditional systems

of medicine in India used coconutpalm jaggery due to its nutritive,medicinal and health attributes. Butwe never gave a thought of commercially utilizing the potentialof these products in todays healthconscious world. As usual we nevergave a second look at the indigenousknowledge. This is where coconutgrowing countries like Indonesiaand Philippines excelled.

Coconut palm sap, jaggery andsugar were produced by indigenousmethods traditionally in Indonesia.Realising the potential of thisproduct, methods of productionwere streamlined and modified tosuit world standards. ThoughIndonesia was the first to ventureinto commercial production of

coconut palm syrup, jaggery andsugar, Philippines moved one stepforward by organising plannedresearch on coconut palm sugar in1995. Actually, coconut sugar

expanding into an agribusiness.Once the processes were stabilized,research was directed towardsgood packaging. From 2004onwards, efforts were directedtowards promotion of the nutritionalattributes of the products in theglobal market. With the opening upof the economy, Indonesia andPhilippines were confident of entering into the internationalmarket with focus on the healthconscious and quality consciousconsunmers in the developed world.The coconut sap sugar wasmassively promoted as a healthproduct through the efforts of PCAand by the Food and NutritionResearch Institute (FNRI) of theDepartment of Science and

Technology which established theGlycemic Index of the product. Afood product was categorised aslow glycemic food when the GI wasless than 55. In case of coconutpalm sugar it was only 35. This wasa major health attribute for theconsumers world wide, adding tothe other properties of increasedcontent of minerals and vitaminsand sugars in coconut palm sugar

and other products from theinflorescence sap.

Rural cooperative partnershipswere the driving vehicles for theestablishment of coconut sap sugarbusiness in Philippines andIndonesia. As Mahatma Gandhi toldway back in 1939, the authorities inPhilippines and Indonesia maderural households and farmercommunities in villages make palm

production technology has beenknown in some coconut producingcountries like Thailand andIndonesia for over a decade. In1996, it was introduced in thePhilippines but it gained popularityonly in 2004. In the same year, thetechnology gained momentum as acommercially viable technology andbecame a small-scale enterprise

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

21/48


sugar in palm tree habitats. Localpopulations could easily turn nectarinto coconut blossom syrup, jaggeryand sugar. This method reducedlogistics and converted the highlyperishable inflorescence sap intoproducts with moderate shelf life like

jaggery and palm sugar. Furtherrefining, granulation and packagingof the products were undertaken inart of the state manufacturingcentres to suit world standards.

PCA supported farmers groupswhich had the business skills andintrepid spirit to discover the profitpotential of making sugar out of

coconut inflorescence sap. Today,these rural enterprises are touted asthe new agribusiness exploiting thepotentials of making it a dollarearner. A womens group inAroman established the AromanNatural Food ProducersMultipurpose Cooperative. Withsupport from the PCA and the localgovernment, the cooperativeapplied their coconut sap sugar forOrganic Certification with thesupport of a natural medicinepractitioner in the U.S, who assistedthe group in marketing the productin the US as an ingredient for anutrient supplement.

Coconut sap sugar (CSS)production now has a niche marketand presently is in high demandlocally and globally as more andmore of its health benefits are

discovered by the scientificcommunity. This has led to theestablishment of cooperativepartnerships of village-levelproducers and enterprises with thePCA and local government units toenhance and support thereinvigoration of the coconutindustry in the country. Since then,the PCA and its research centershave conducted massive trainings

for local communities to shareviable technology to fostereconomic growth and socialdevelopment.

An added advantage of the

technology is its simplicity anduncomplicatedness considering thatthis involves only concentratingfresh sap into sugar granules - achange in physical form from liquidto solid state. It does not requireskilled labor or sophisticatedequipment and is best adapted to afarm level or medium scaleenterprise. However, the process isvery dependent on critical factors

such as pH, temperature and theextent of microbial activity of thenatural yeasts in the sap. Each stepin the process requires specificconditions such as neutral pH of thesap, clean materials during sapcollection and cooking, andcontrolled temperature during thepeak of transforming the sap syrupinto solid sugar form. This ensuresquality and proper formation of theproduct.

The lessons learned and sharedby the different communityinitiatives in Philippines andIndonesia are classic examples of local partnership between abudding business coconutcommunity and government and

non-government organizations. Itshowed that simple farmers canestablish their own linkages andnetworks in nurturing a ordinarybusiness into a big enterprise. Thiskind of partnership has madefarmers more aware of their socialresponsibility in their new businessand has learned to be moreaccountable in the production andprocessing of their goods.

Cooperative partnership, asexperienced in this coconut sapsugar production enterprise inPhilippines and Indonesia providesconfidence for the Board which is

now working through the FarmerProducer Organisations of CPS,CPF and Producer Companies.Working through farmercommunities together withtechnology application and adoptionby local communities, was apowerful factor in developing thefarmer groups self-confidence todeal with pressing issues inproduction, processing andmarketing. It also encouragedfarmers to integrate and closelyfollow the set technology protocolfor assured quality produce, andstrongly supported self-reliance andempowerment of farmers as theypursued new challenges in thiscoconut sap sugar agribusinessendeavor. As a result, it providedmore jobs to coconut farmers, not

just as producers of nuts and otherproducts, but as entrepreneurs witha defined business. It is interestingto note in this context thatestablishment of local units forcoconut palm sugar production waseven undertaken under the aegis of Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO) of the United Nations. In itsspecial programme for FoodSecurity in Asia, FAO initiatedprogrammes in West Java forcoconut palm sugar production.

Vessel used for collection of Neerain Philippines

Theme article

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

22/48


Theme article

Coconut blossom sugar wasrecognised as the mostsustainable form of sugar byFAO. It was referred satiricallyas a tree that provides year-roundsustenance for the communitiesaround them, the only hazard beingunderneath when a coconut drops!

Neera and its value addedproducts are manufactured by allthe major coconut producingcountries. The major players in thefield are Indonesia, Philippines,Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka andVietnam. The major destinations areUSA, Canada, Norway, France,

Middle East, South Korea, Japan,Australia and New Zealand. Exportof Neera and its products,especially palm sugar has shown asurging trend in production andmarket demand as a healthy andnatural product. Industries based oncoconut with vast economicprospects have been established tocater to the domestic and localdemands. Indonesia produces over6 lakh MT of palm sugar in a yeari.e., around 50,000 MT of palmsugar is produced per month. Theymoved through farmer groups since90% of the coconut growers aresmall and marginal. Big Tree farmsis the fore runner in coconut palmsugar production in Indonesia.Indofood and Unilever purchasedaround 30,000 MT of coconut palmsugar each in 2011. The productionof palm sugar in Indonesia isestimated to reach 10 lakh MT in2012. Even countries like Sri Lankaand Malaysia which are very muchbehind us in production of coconuthave ventured into production of Neera and palm sugar. CodexAlimentarius Commission and AsiaPacific Coconut Community(APCC) have developed qualitystandards for Neera and itsproducts. Countries like Philippines

and Sri Lanka have their ownstandards for Neera and coconutpalm sugar. The Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries productsStandards in Philippines hasdeveloped specific standards inquality for coconut palm sugar. Forinstance Premium class is classifiedas Superior quality which has acolor of light yellow to cream. ClassI which is of good quality has acolour of light brown to brown.Class II includes those which do notfall in the above two.

Aroman cooperative by womenleads in coconut palm sugar

production in the Philippines whileChivadi leads in production of coconut palm syrup. The exportprice for coconut palm sugar is inthe range of US$ 4.50 -6.50 perpound.

The global demand for lowcalorie reduced sugar and sugarfree products is increasing day byday with the increasing healthawareness in the food market. The

increase in the number of peoplewith obesity, diabetes and dentalcaries is also alarming and Neeraand coconut palm sugar can providea healthy viable option. The lowGlycemic Index of 35 for Neera andits value added products offers apotential substitute for peoplelooking for sugar free foods.Coconut palm syrup, jaggery andpalm sugar can be put to a variety

of uses like in bakery items, icecreams, coffee, topping on dessertsetc as sweetening agent. In this erawhen Health is the new weal thwhich drives the consumer

ma rk et , promoting a nutritivehealthy product like Neera andcoconut palm sugar will rewrite thehistory of coconut sector in thecountry. Working through thefarmer collectives of CPS, CPF and

Producer Companies will ensureefficient production of the products.Let us move forward taking the cuefrom Indonesia and Phillippines andmake the coconut sector emergesweeter and stronger.

Comparative nutritional valuesof coconut sap sugar vs. brown

sugarElement(ppm or

mg/L)

Coconut Sap

Sugar

BrownSugar

Nitrogen 2,020 100Phosphorus 790 35Potassium 10,300 650Magnesium 290 NoneChloride 4,700 180Sodium 450 NoneSulfur 260 NoneCopper 2.3 NoneManganese 1.3 NoneBoron 6.3 NoneZinc 21.3 2.0

Iron 21.9 12.6Source: Philippine Coconut AuthorityResearch Development and Extension

branch APCC standards for coconut

palm sugar

Parameters Value

Color Light yellow/cream to darkbrown

Odor Sweet pleasantnutty aroma

Taste sweet

Others Free from filthand extraneousmatter

MoistureContent (%)

Cube/block:max 10Granular : Max

Glucose (%) 2.8-3.0

Fructose (%) 1.0-4.0

Sucrose (%) 78.0-89.0

Ash (%)

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

23/48


Tropical palms are anecologically beneficial tree crop thatgrows in diverse, wildlife supportiveagro-ecosystems, restore damagedsoils and require very little water.Coconut palms are considered theTree of Life by many traditionalcommunities throughout the world,as one tree can provide a multitudeof usable goods, such as; roofingmaterial, food, coconut water,building material and shade forcrops.

Reports by the Food andAgriculture Organization (FAO) of the World Bank show that CoconutPalms and other nectar producingspecies of palms are likely the

Environmental attributes of Coconut Palm Sweetenersworlds most sustainablesweetener. Coconut Palms andother sugar producing tropicalpalms are nearly twice asproductive per hectare assugarcane and are a far moresustainable source of sweetenerbecause they grow in diverse, wild-

life supportive ecosystems asopposed to huge mono-cropplantings. Coconut Palms can growin severely depleted soil (think of asandy beach!) and use very littlewater; In fact, not only do theyrequire such little maintenance, butthey actually improve soil structure,fertility and water conservation,thereby allowing marginalized landto become lush jungle over time.

Many traditional communitiesthroughout the world considercoconut palms the Tree of Life,as they provide a variety of accessible products from whichthey earn their livelihoods. Theproduction of Sweet Tree organiccoconut sugar has the single highest

potential for lifting these farmersinto a better life while creating anet benefit to their surroundingenvironment. Coconut palm sugaris not produced from the same palmspecies as is used for the productionof palm oil. Coconut palms producean average of 50-75% more sugarper acre than sugar cane and useless than 1/5th the soil nutrients forthat production.

Shri. Vijayanda Kaimal fromThuravoor in Alapuzha district of

Kerala, does not

claim to be ane x p e r i e n c e dfarmer, but firmlybelieves that neeratapping willdefinitely upliftthe farmers and

will revitalize the prospects of coconut farmers. On return to hishome town after retiring from theMinistry of Human Development,Government of India as theDirector, he was determined to bea farmer.

It is ten years now since he isinto farming. In his 40 acre farmland he is cultivating paddy andcoconut. Around 250 TXD andDXT coconut varieties are grownin his garden which is mostly 5-6year old. When the price of coconut

stooped below, Kiamal gave his 35

Neera tapping, a viable source of income to farmerscoconut trees for toddy tapping. Onan average, a coconut tree yield 2-3 liter toddy per day and is being

sold @ Rs. 70 per liter. Eventhoughtoddy tapping gives better yield thancoconut harvesting, he isdisappointed that he gets only Rs.6.50 per tree per day while thetapper gets Rs.44 and the Abkaricontractor gets Rs.90.

Kaimal, recently elected as thePresident of Changram CoconutProducers Society welcomes the

initiative of the CoconutDevelopment Board inspearheading the formation of farmer collectives, the CPS andfederating them to CPFs. Accordingto him neera tapping is the onlyalternative for saving the coconutfarmers who are reeling undersevere price fall of coconut and itsproducts. He is happy that therecommendations put forward by

the Coconut Development Board to

the Neera Committee that Neeraproduction and marketing can beentrusted with Coconut Producers

Societies, their Federations andProducer Companies. He ardentlybelieves that neera production, itsvalue addition and marketing canmake drastic changes in theeconomic status of the farmer. Therecommendation to have 50% of the income from neera productionto the farmer and 25% to the tapperis a positive step.

This degree holder fromJawaharlal Nehru Universitydreams of a day where the farmerwill have the right to fix the priceof his produce. Here the farmersare denied that right and the middlemen is exploiting the farmer. He ishopeful that the neera policy to beenacted by the Government of Kerala will definitely be anexception.

Producer Company

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

24/48


Theme article

Two Coconut Producer Companiesestablished in Kerala

Two Coconut Producer Companiesmade their kick start in Kerala.Tejaswini Coconut FarmersProducer Company Ltd. is a projectof coconut farmers of Kannur andKasaragode District and PalakkadCoconut Producers Company is aninitiative of coconut farmers of Palakkad District. CoconutDevelopment Board has initiatedthe formation of Coconut Producer

Companies (CPC) by associating 8-10 Coconut Producer Federationsin a contiguous area with aconsolidated minimum of 8-10 lakhpalms. The objective is socioeconomic upliftment of the farmersthrough productivity improvement,cost reduction, efficient collectivemarketing and processing andproduct diversification. A farmer

equity contribution is also proposedto be mobilized. A matching equitycontribution will be sought from thestate Government as one timeassistance for making the CPCeffective.

Tejaswini Coconut FarmersProducer Company Ltd

Tejaswini Coconut FarmersProducer Company Ltd. is a dreamproject of coconut farmers of Kannur and Kasaragode District.This is the first producer companyregistered under CoconutDevelopment Board in Kerala. The

jurisdiction of the company includesKannur and Kasaragod District andthe head quarters of the companyis at Cherupuzha, which is the mainmarket place for agricultural

produces especially coconutproducts.

242 CPSs and 16 CPFs inKannur and Kasaragod Districtshave formed this company. Eachfederations comprises of 15 to 25CPSs. Cherupuzha, Alakkode,Udayagiri, and BheemanadiCoconut Federations are themembers of the newly registeredThejaswini Coconut FarmersProducer Company. Otherfederations of the nearby area will

join this company soon.

The objectives of the companyinclude encouraging coconutfarmers for better cultivation,production and marketing so thatthe farmers get maximum price tococonut, production of organiccoconut, taking up value addition incoconut cultivation, exporting valueadded organic coconut products,neera production and its marketing,organizing FoCT programme,maximum tender coconutharvesting and production of coconut seedlings suitable fortender coconut, production of valueadded products from coconut husk,coir pith, coconut shell and timber

and taking up research activities onpest and diseases of coconut andhybridization of coconut.

Palakkad Coconut ProducersCompany

Palakkad Coconut ProducersCompany is an initiative of coconutfarmers of Palakkad District,Kerala, India. Here 40 to 100

coconut farmers with about 4000 to10000 coconut trees in ageographically well-defined areaform a Coconut Producer Society(CPS). To be considered as afarmer one should own at least 10bearing coconut palms in the areacoming under the CPS. Eight ormore CPSs in a Grama Panchayator in a Block Panchayat areforming a Federation of CoconutProducer Societies (CPF). Theseentities are registered undercharitable societies act relevant tothe area in District Registrar Officeand then with CoconutDevelopment Board. The presentventure is the effort of nine existingFederations in the district.

The equity of the company isbeing mobilized from farmers. Eachfarmer has to take shares equal tothe number of coconut trees ownedby him/her. The value of each shareis one hundred rupees. The farmerscan subscribe shares by payingtwenty rupees. The rest may bepaid as produce or cash within thenext 24 months or eight harvestswhichever is earlier. The Companyis procuring coconuts, tender

coconuts and is planning to collectNeera (un-fermented coconut sap),palm sugar and other produce fromthe shareholders and to resell theraw or value added produce tovarious governmental and businessagencies through its own outlets.The produce collected from eachfarmer is proportionate to his/hernumber of shares.

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

25/48


Production of NeeraSunil A. Nair*, Mejosh Jose, Regi J. Thomas, R.V. Nair

Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Regional Station, Kayamkulam, Krishnapuram P.O., Kerala State

Amongst the 2,000 odd palmspecies in the world, only ninespecies yield inflorescence sap(neera) / sweet juice and of theseonly four general species are foundin India viz., coconut palm, datepalm, palmyrah palm and sago palm.The coconut palm, popularly knownas tree of life, is characteristically

a food supplier from its fruit,inflorescence and other edibleproducts. India ranks first in theworld in coconut production with aproduction of 10840 metric tonnesnuts from 1.89 million hectares; of these Kerala has around 18 crorecoconut palms and about 25 % of the palms could be spared for neeratapping.

Neera is a sweet juice or sap,obtained by tapping the unopenedinflorescence/spadix of the coconutpalm. The inflorescence of this palmis a source of many food products.Its unopened spathe can be tappedto produce inflorescence sap, whileits fertilized flowers or fruits can beprocessed to produce coconut meat,milk, cream, oil, water, flour,desiccated coconut, chips and natade coco. The sap can be processedinto sap juice / drink, syrup or honey,crude sugar or granulated brownsugar etc. In Philippines it is alsomarketed as an alcoholic drink (4.0-6.0% alcohol) or as lambong ordistilled wine (24.0-45.0% alcohol).

Season and stage for tapping

Tapping for extraction of neerais mostly done in the dry seasonextending from November to Marchand in wet weather period fromApril to October. Dry weathertapping is done mostly in the lowlying lands where palms do notsuffer due to moisture stress duringdrought period. The spathe isconsidered ready for tapping whenthe inflorescence opens or is justabout to burst. The female flowerwithin the unopened spadix causesa swelling at the base and thisindicates the appropriate stage fortapping. Since coconut producesinflorescence regularly in thesuccessive leaf axils, tapping can bedone throughout the year. Neeracan be extracted from Tall palms,Dwarf palms and the hybrids andout of these the hybrids followed byTalls are found to be high yieldersand most preferred.

Tapping technique andcollection of sap

The selected unopened spadix iswrapped with fibrous chord of

coconut leaf petiole along its lengthto prevent it from splitting.Inflorescence suitable for tapping istrained and it consists of gentleuniform beating all over the surfaceusing a hardwood mallet twice dailyso as to carefully bruise and rapturethe tender tissues of the floralbranch. Approximately seven to tencentimeter of the tip of the spatheis cut off. After three days thesurface appears moist due to oozingof juice. An earthen pot is just hungaround the spadix to collect theoozing juice. The tip of the spaidxis tied down with a string to anearby petiole or leaf. The dailyslicing of the tip of the spadix allowsthe sap to flow continuously andslicing is done once in the morningand evening. The finer the slice, the

Theme article

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

26/48


Theme article

longer is the life of the spadix. Themouth of the receptacle is coveredwith a net to prevent the entry of insects, mice and lizards. Thecollected inflorescence sap is

filtered through a sieve to removethe foreign particles.

The yield of sap graduallyincreases and when it reaches themaximum, the collection is madetwice in a day. The flow of the sapfrom the inflorescence continuesfor about one month or even more.During this period, the secondspathe is also brought into

production.Tapping is usuallycontinued for a period of six monthswith a possibility of three spatheson the same tree being tapped atthe same time. The maximum yieldof neera is usually obtained duringthe third month aftercommencement of tapping. On anaverage a palm yields about 1.8-2.4litres of neera.

In Philippines tapping is donetwice a day. Harvesting of inflorescence sap can be done inthe morning (taken before 8 am) forproduction of vinegar and in theafternoon (not later than 3 pm) forthe production of sap juice, honeyand sugar since sap produced in the

afternoon is sweeter than in themorning. To produce sweetinflorescence sap, it is necessarythat all tools and containers usedshould always be clean.

Preservation of the collectedneera (inflorescence sap)

Neera undergoes fermentationwhen exposed to sunlight. It firstundergoes alcoholic and then aceticacid fermentation through microbialaction. As the sap is highlyperishable due to the natural yeastmicro flora, the harvested sapshould be immediately processed bypasteurizing for 10 minutes at 65 OC in a large cast iron pan. Thisprevents the fermentation of thesap. Such hygienically preparedsap can be stored upto three dayswithout any change in its quality.The commercial neera available inthe market has an undesirableodour. Numerous methods areavailable for removing the odour,

improving quality and shelf life of the extracted neera.

According to the methoddeveloped by DRDO, thermalprocessing of neera at atemperature of more than 95 O Cand reduction of thermal stress by

addition of bio-preservative nisinat a concentration of 10 ppm wasfound to enhance shelf life of neera.A foil based multilayer packagingmaterial such as PET (Polyethylene

Terephtalate) / aluminium foil wasfound suitable to prevent adverselight. In order to increase theproduct appeal, the suspendedparticles in neera were removed bycentrifugation at 4000 rpm for 10min. The product as such withoutany additive treatment as well asheat processing was stable up to 72hr. When the product wasprocessed either by in-pack pasteurization or through retortpouch processing, the shelf life wasabout one year under refrigeratedcondition and 30 days underambient conditions.

Taking into account the vastmarket potential of neera(unfermented inflorescence sap),Government should take measuresto accede to farmers demand fortheir right to tap and market neera.A favourable decision in this regardwill definitely benefit the coconutfarmers and make coconut farmingmore competitive, which isotherwise losing its market tocheaper oils.

The Neera Board constituted inKarnataka to market the valueadded products made from neeraconsists of representatives from theneera industry, i.e farmers, stategovernment officials and neeratraining institute. The key objectiveof the Board is to inspect andcontrol the quality of neera and itsproducts, give approval to labels andcome out with various schemes forthe sale of neera and its by productsin the international market.

In Karnataka, Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC) hasa demonstration unit for promoting Neera as a health drink. Thecentral government is trying to develop Neera clusters under thescheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industrial (SFURTI).This will undertake programmes to help those who tap the Coconuttrees and has under its wings 50 co-operative societies andinstitutions throughout the Gramodyog Sangham. Theimplementation of this scheme is as part of the increasingavailability of the drink, with the aim of generating more employmentopportunities for the Tappers.

8/12/2019 ICJ-2013-05

27/48


Focus oncommercialisation of

technologies to capitalisethe opportunities for neera

Product diversification and by product utilisation isone of the thrust areas identified by the Board forpromoting coconut industry. The CoconutDevelopment Board has been making several effortsto promote product diversification in coconut so as toreduce dependency on copra & coconut oil marketand enable coconut farmers to get more remunerativeprice for coconut. Promotion of Neera as Nutritious

Documents

ICJ-2013-05