New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS) Gujarat has become one of the leading coconut-producing states in the country. This year alone, more than 26 crore units of coconuts have been produced in the state.

The state government is continuously encouraging coconut cultivation, and as a result, coconut trees are flourishing everywhere in the coastal districts, including Gir Somnath, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Valsad, Kutch, Navsari and Dwarka.

The spurt in coconut production comes on the back of the state government’s support, in the form of monetary assistance as well as subsidisation of pesticides.

Dilip Borse, a farmer from Somnath district, attributed the increased outcome in coconut production to the government’s periodic stimulus and said that such measures will go a long way in enhancing production.

“If a farmer cultivates coconut, he is given assistance of Rs 13,000 per hectare and an additional Rs 5,000 per hectare is given for pesticides. This helps coconut farmers a lot and helps them grow it without hassles. The coconut-producing farmers are very happy with this move,” he said.

Apart from promoting coconut cultivation, the state government is also encouraging the farmers to diversify their produce into multiple by-products, thus opening new avenues of trade and, in turn, empowering them financially.

Manoj Agarwal, Deputy Horticulture Officer of Junagadh, said that apart from coconut water, farmers are now preparing coco peat, coconut halwa and other products and selling them in the market. This is increasing their income and strengthening the rural economy.

Notably, the state government under its Gujarat Coconut Development Programme, sanctioned a budget of Rs 5.5 crore for the financial year 2024-25. Under the scheme, they are given financial assistance of up to Rs 42,500 per hectare in various phases.

Also, the area under coconut cultivation in Gujarat is likely to increase from 22,451 hectares in 2014-15 to 28,197 hectares in 2024-25, according to government estimates.

Presently, about 40 per cent of the coconut produced in Gujarat is sent to states like Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

--IANS

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