(a) whether the Government are aware of the acute difficulties expressed by
the coconut cultivators due to the decreasing prices of coconut and its products;
(b) whether the Government have received any representations from State
Governments in this regard; and
(c) if so, the steps taken/proposed to be taken to provide relief to the farmers?
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI NITISH KUMAR)
(a)&(b): Yes, Sir.
(c): The Government of India have directed NAFED, its nodal agency to
undertake price support operation for procurement of copra under the Minimum
Support Price Scheme. So far NAFED has purchased a total quantity of 1.37
lakh tonnes of Milling Copra in the States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh, Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The procurement is
still in progress. The Government has also increased the basic import duty on
copra to 35% and on coconut oil (crude and refined) to 45%.