Kerala government has decided to set up 44 'Kera Villages' to promote coconut farming by planting high yielding varieties, Agriculture Minister V S Sunilkumar said today.
The proposal was to consider a 250 acre coconut farm as one unit and promote 44 such units under the programme, he said during question hour in the state assembly.
Sunilkumar said the objective was to increase coconut production, for which an amount of Rs 33 crore has been earmarked.
Productivity of coconut trees in Kerala has come down by about 15 to 20 per cent recently due to various diseases, he said.
Besides, total area under coconut cultivation has also decreased following conversion of farm land for commercial purposes.
Referring to the drought situation in Kerala and its impact on agriculture, Sunilkumar said a total of 36,891.22 hectares area of farmland have been destroyed.
Depletion of water level in reservoirs had also badly affected the sector, he added.
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