Friends of Coconut Tree crossed 10,000

  Ever since its establishment, the Coconut Development Board has provided massive employment to 10049 youths including 512 ladies having the age limit between 18-45years on palm climbing training programme within a  period of 563 days.

This is a continuous batch wise 6 days palm climbing training programme in which the participants are coined as ‘Friends of Coconut Trees’ (FoCT), a new concept mooted by the Board, with the intention to elevate this profession where farmers are in dire need of coconut pluckers.

In order to elevate the status the Board is giving the training, machine and two set of uniforms free of cost to the trainees.

Keeping this in mind, the Board is giving training to 15,000 people over a period of two years and creates a pool of trained personnel among the coconut-growing states.

A total number of 10049 participants in 456 batches from the States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,  Maharashtra, Odisha and Lakshadweep attended the training programme from 17th August 2011 onwards which includes 512 female trainees. This project is an attempt of the Board to bring back the lost glory of coconut sector.

FoCT training is an opportunity for an unemployed youth to realize a better income and livelihood at his own place.

Training curriculum includes scientific management practices of coconut, major pests and diseases and their control measures, harvesting, collection of seednuts and management of coconut nursery, irrigation, fertilizer application etc besides classes on human resource development, banking, yoga and healthy way of living.

The Board is visualizing a bright future for those who have completed the training successfully and especially for those who consider this as a serious profession. A charge of Rs.10 for a normal tree (40 feet height) Rs.15 for taller as well as those trees in the city limits (where harvesting is a bit difficult) is fixed. In short Board has transformed the pluckers to professional plant protectors. Most of the trainees are making Rs.300-1000 per day. Some of the trainees are making an income of Rs.1500 per day.

Trained FoCTs are sending feed back on their performance in the field like number of farmers visited, number of trees climbed and total earnings through SMS (Short Message Service) sent from their mobiles on a daily basis.

Trained FoCTs engaged in active climbing work were recommended for 2 wheeler loan subsidy @25% of the cost. 65 FoCTs from Kerala State availed this loan.

The curriculum of the scheme is transforming the trainees to experts in coconut farming
 

Training Centres are:

 

Friends of Coconut Tree Main Page

District Wise List of Friends of Coconut Tree

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