KOZHIKODE: “Our farmers will have a promising future with the introduction of Neera and allied coconut products,” said Power Minister Aryadan Muhammed here on Monday.
He was launching the Neera and allied products, including Neera honey, Neera halwa and coconut oil produced by Kozhikode Coconut Farmers’ Producer Company, a farmers’ initiative based at Kunnamangalam.
“We have lakhs of coconut farmers producing about 600 crore coconuts per year. Proper value addition and diversification would activate the rural economy,”
Mr Aryadan said. On the formation of producers’ companies by farmers’ groups, he said that even a pappadam maker has right to fix his price for the product whereas a farmer is helpless in this matter.
The value addition would help the farmers in deciding the price of their products, he pointed out. Producer company chairman P. Pradeepkumar presided over the programme.
The company was the first to produce Neera in the district in February. The company also mobilised Rs 98 lakh through shares.
Among those present were shareholders of the company, farmers, excise deputy commissioner P.K. Suresh and Kozhikode district cooperative bank president Manayath Chandran.
