Hon'ble Minister Shri.Ram Nath Thakur calls for emphasis on
natural farming at World Coconut Day Celebration in Karnataka

Shri.Ram Nath Thakur, Hon'ble Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, called for special emphasis on natural farming with focus on nurturing the soil fertility. He was delivering the inaugural address at the World Coconut Day celebration of Coconut Development Board organized at Sri Manjunatha Convention Hall, Ramanagara, Karnataka on 18^th September 2024. There are still areas to be addresses in the country. Fertility of land is worsening during the past 30 years and the human health has also been worsening. Hence we have to focus on natural farming to improve the health of land and mankind.

Shri.Thakur expressed pride in India's status as a global leader in coconut production, saying that India ranks first in productivity, contributing 28.81% of the total global production across 23.28 lakh hectares with 22.28 billion nuts produced annually. With cultivation spanning 19 states and 4 Union Territories, India remains at the forefront of coconut production alongside Indonesia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. In particular note, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh account for 90% of the area and 92% of total production in the country, supporting the livelihoods of 12 million farmers. Dr.S.V. Suresha, Vice Chancellor, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Shri. Digvijay Bodke IAS, CEO, Zilla Panchayat Bhavan, Ramanagara, Shri. Suba Nagarajan, Non-Executive Chairman, CDB spoke during the occasion.

Officials from Coconut Development Board, Karnataka State Agriculture/Horticulure Department, 1000 coconut farmers, processors, exporters, researchers, policy makers and other stakeholders also attended the programme. A technical session on scientific coconut cultivation practices, coconut value addition and coconut pest & diseases management were also held. An exhibition showcasing various innovative value added products of coconut was also organized alongside the event. Dr.Prabhat Kumar, CEO, CDB delivered the key note address, Dr.B. Hanumanthe Gowda, Chief Coconut Development Officer, CDB delivered the welcome address and Shri.M.S. Raju, Deputy Director of Horticulture, Ramanagara proposed vote of thanks during the occasion.