The Coconut Industry Board (CIB) is reminding farmers of the importance of renewing their membership every year. This is in light of the fall-off in the number of farmers registering in recent years, with only 83 having registered for 2012. The deadline is March 1. For 2010, some 832 coconut farmers were registered with the CIB, but this number fell to 771 last year.
"It could be that farmers don't see the need to register with the board," general manager Yvonne Burns told AgroGleaner. Failure to do so could see them unable to access benefits offered by the board and unable to purchase contractual insurance against windstorms.
"Many of them seem to think that once they are registered with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) they are registered with the Coconut Industry Board, but this is not so, according to the general manager. They need to register every year and application farms can be obtained from the board's office at 18 Waterloo Road, Kingston 10.
Farmers registered with the board have access to a wide range of benefits including free seedlings, weed grants and 80 per cent of the cost of fertiliser.
However, the industry continues to suffer from the impact of the lethal yellowing disease which devastated the farms in the eastern end of the island. To this end, the board has ramped up its replanting drive. "For the year 2012, the board intends to plant more coconut trees as well as increase acreage," Burns told AgroGleaner, explaining that demand far outstrips supply at this time. This is because of renewed interest in coconut oil and coconut water by health enthusiasts, as well as the use of different parts of the plant for craft.
Sensitisation
In order to meet the growing demand, the CIB has collaborated with Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) on a number of educational programmes to get farmers to invest in coconut cultivation for the long term. Under the programme which is set to end in June, extension officers have been holding regular field trips to sensitise farmers to best practices, while providing technical support. This is especially important in light of the impact of lethal yellowing which has significantly reduced the availability of seedlings.
While the Maypan is a more commercial viable strain, because of the six to seven years it takes to get to full production, some farmers are unwilling to make the investment. Burns had this appeal: "We are encouraging all farmers who have the land to come in and they will get the help they need once the seeds are available."