Withdrawal of coconut tree from tree act
The Coconut Farmers Association of Goa has hailed the government's decision of withdrawing the coconut tree from the Tree Act of the Forest Department.
Addressing a press conference, Association secretary Dinar Barros, along with office bearers and members of the association, requested the government to continue supporting the dwindling coconut farming community by increasing the support price for coconut from Rs 8 to Rs 12 and to remove the ceiling of 50,000 nuts per farmer under the existing scheme.
Claiming that coconut tree is not a forest tree, Barros said coconut tree plantation is a commercial farm activity cultivated by farmers for profit and livelihood. “Nationwide being classified as a commercial oilseed crop, the coconut tree plantation will be devoid of all commerce if it is classified and brought under the purview of the Tree Act,” Barros added.
“In Goa, the traditional toddy-tappers and pluckers will be rendered jobless. In the absence of toddy, Feni distilleries will be shut down. As also, all the people living in thatched roof huts and tiled roof houses would be rendered homeless as they solely depend on coconut leaves and rafters (vanshe) of coconut timber,” Barros said, while claiming that the much sought after Goan coconut will be missed by our deities and we will be deprived of our 'Xit-Kodi'.
Taking a dig at the previous regime, Barros said the previous regime had to grapple with the fast declining forest cover figures and thought it wise to include our sacred coconut tree to improve their figures.
“As per the Tree Act, only those coconut trees which are senile, diseased, dead or which pose danger to the habitation are permitted to be cut and that too, after going through all the lengthy formalities. The trees which produce even 10 to 20 nuts per year are not given licence for cutting,” they announced.
They said just because coconut tree is withdrawn from the list of trees under the Tree Act, it does not get classified as grass. “Similar trees like arecanut, cashew, etc which are commercially grown plantations are not included under the Tree Act. This does not make them grass,” they informed.
“If the coconut tree is not withdrawn from the Tree Act, it is a matter of time that the Goan coast will be bare of any coconut trees,” they added.
The Association members claimed that a coconut tree which produces 40 nuts per year is no longer within the viable economic threshold since the wholesale rate today is Rs 4.50 to Rs 5 per coconut and the cost of plucking coconut alone works out to Rs 200 per year.
According to the members, the Coconut Development Board is offering Rs 1,000 per tree for cutting as subsidy so that non economical coconut trees may be replaced with new varieties and hybrids (Benaulim crossed with dwarf) which produce over 300 nuts per year and start bearing from 3rd year compared to the local Benaulim variety which has the potential of around 100 nuts per year. “This scheme encourages the farmers to cut coconut trees which are less which are less productive so as to increase the production per hectare and give farmers attractive returns,” they added.
Those present for the press conference included Chairman of the Association, Subhash Prabhudesai, Feni distiller Hansel Vaz and members --- Ambarish Nadkarni and Santosh Prabhudesai.
