INSIDE Neera for the revival of coconut economy ..................................... 2 Coconut Neera - the hidden unexplored treasure .................................................... 4 K Muralidharan and Deepthi Nair. S. ‘Keraamritham’- a health drink from coconut inflorescence sap ...................... 9 B. Jayaprakash Naik, P R Suresh, Meera Manjusha, P V Balachandran, Madhusubramonian and PC Balakrishnan Production of Neera and coconut sugar deserves encouragement ...................... 11 P.K.Thampan Coconut palms suitable for Neera tapping ......................................... 15 Jnanadevan. R THEME Bio Beverage - Coco Neera .................... 17 Neera - a treasure house R. Hali Indonesia and Philippines – a replicable of untapped potential model to grow sweeter with coconut ... 20 Deepthi Nair. S. Black headed caterpillar spreads across Two Coconut Producer Companies Visakhapatnam ...................................................... 38 established in Kerala ............................. 24 Tiptur coconut ravaged by pests Production of Neera ............................... 25 and diseases .......................................................... 39 Sunil A. Nair, Mejosh Jose, Regi J. Thomas, R.V. Nair News ....................................................................... 40 Focus on commercialisation of Karnataka farmers visited Coconut Development Board technologies to capitalise the Farm Review Meeting opportunities for neera .......................... 27 Symposium on Neera Jayashree.A Expert Committee for revitalizing the Regional Commodity Exchanges visited CDB Lakshadweep realizes the potential Meeting of the leaders of Thrissur District CPF of Neera ................................................... 30 Kozhikode district Coconut Producers Federation Sasikumar C leaders workshop Fruit Festival-2013 Neera Production through CPS,CPF and FoCT and CPS programme spreading across India Producer Companies ............................. 32 Krishi Fair 2013 Recommendations of Monthly operations in coconut gardens...45 Neera Committee ................................... 33 Health benefits of coconut nectar ......... 34 Market Review - April 2013 .................................... 47 Our great green umbrellas .................... 35 G.S.Unnikrisnan Nair Chairman’s page Neera for the revival of coconut economy Dear Coconut Farmers, Neera tapper can ideally tap around 15-20 palms per The coconut farmers are in a very precarious situation day. Based on this assumption, employment potential for quite some time due to multiple issues beset with the estimated is one lakh. Evidently this would be 10 lakh if sector. Frequent fluctuation and fall in price of coconut, we employ 10% of the total palms for Neera production. severity of many pests and diseases, rocketing escalation If farmers are allowed to produce Neera and its value of input cost, fragmentation of holdings etc. are a few added products, it can generate good daily return to to cite. Coconut plantations were subjected to utter the coconut farmer and the Neera tapper. negligence and resultantly coconut farming becomes a The Abkari Act of Kerala (Act 10 of 1967) contains non-profitable enterprise. When monetary value and definitions which wrongly included the zero alcohol profitability are the criteria for nurturing crops, many Neera into Toddy and thus as Liquor. Section 3(10) of other crops made inroads and coconut is getting the act say that “Liquor includes spirits of wine, substituted. In fact it is not a replacement of a tree but a arrack, spirits, wine, toddy, beer and all liquid replacement of a culture. consisting or containing alcohol.” This statement The need for reviving coconut sector has therefore emphasizes that any liquid which consists of or contains become imperative and ways and means for a revival is alcohol is liquor. Under Section 3(8) of the act “Toddy on the agenda of all stakeholders and policy makers. means fermented or unfermented juice drawn from Delinking coconut economy from the clutches of copra- coconut, palmyra, date or any other kind of palm coconut oil over dependency, coupled with developing tree”. This is a contradiction. Unfermented juice of and popularizing more value added products from coconut palm is included under toddy even when it does coconut has been brought out as a viable strategy for not contain alcohol. This definition of Neera defeats the regaining the lost glory of coconut. Coconut intention of the law makers since it gives a wrong Development Board is instrumental in advocating this interpretation of a natural nutritious health drink. message. Neera is the latest addition in the array of value It is pertinent that the Abkari Act came at a time added products which holds the potential to revitalize when food processing technology was not advanced the prospects of coconut farmers of India. and there was no process for maintaining Neera in Neera is the sweet, oyster white coloured sap tapped unfermented stage. Now with the advent of technologies from the ‘spathe’ of coconut. It is a delicious health it is high time that necessary changes are made in the drink, a rich source of sugars, minerals and vitamins. Abkari Act which was conceived 111 years ago. Hence, The most significant characteristic of the product is its amendments in the Abkari Act is the need of the hour. low Glycemic Index (GI is 35), an indicator of the extent Otherwise neera has to be excluded from the definition of sugar absorbed into the blood. Foods with GI less of liquor and clear legislation need to be evolved for than 55 are classified as low GI foods. The global Neera as a nutritious health drink. demand for low GI sugar are on the increase and hence Neera production in Kerala can contribute Neera and coconut palm sugar as the natural product substantially to the Gross State Domestic Production can fill up this gap. (GSDP). If 50% of the consumer price of Neera is A coconut palm yields on an average two litres of offered to coconut farmer, 25% to Neera technician Neera per day, which may go even up to 4.5 to 5.0 litres and remaining 25% towards processing, packaging and based on the health and management of the palm. Neera marketing costs, it can result in an all round increase in is an unfermented drink which does not contain alcohol. the incomes of all stakeholders. Neera can kick start a But on fermentation neera becomes toddy. Therefore, whole lot of food processing industries too. The export neera production requires adherence of strict procedures potential of coconut palm sugar made of Neera from and cautious handling. Neera is the raw material for Kerala could be double that of the software export from many value added products like palm syrup, palm jaggery the state! and palm sugar which are having high domestic and When 10% of the palms in the state is subject to international demand owing to their high nutritional tapping, the returns from Neera to the GSDP amounts values. to Rs. 54,000 crores (Market price of Neera is taken as In India, coconut is being cultivated by ten million Rs.100 per litre). The generation of rural employment families. Let us consider the case of Kerala where existing through Neera technicians is around 10 lakhs. The total coconut palm population is around 1800 lakh. If a income to the work force of Neera technicians through minimum of 1% of these palms are utilized for neera production of Neera is around Rs.13,500 crores while tapping, there will be 18 lakh palms for this purpose. A the income of the coconut farmers is to the tune of Indian Coconut Journal 2 May 2013 Chairman’s page Rs.27,000 crores and around Rs.4,050 crores is like soft drinks. Toddy and neera are entirely different generated as tax revenue to the state through the products and of different qualities. Neera is neither a increased purchasing power of the farmers and substitute nor a competitor to toddy. technicians. This amount is more than the annual inflow Formation of Coconut Producers Societies (CPS) of funds from the Middle East to Kerala which is roughly was initiated by the Board with an objective to mobilize around Rs. 27,000 crores. The increase in GSDP through coconut farmers and to establish grass root level farmer Neera could be roughly 17%. Processing of Neera to institutions for undertaking production, processing and palm syrup, palm jaggery and coconut palm sugar will marketing of coconut. At present 3,536 CPS and 125 add more value to GSDP. CPFs are registered with the Board. Two Coconut If similar provisions are made in other major coconut Producer Companies are already registered, and many growing states, similar spurt in employment and income are in the offing, which is perceived to be a milestone to of farmers and workers is possible. Neera production is transform the entire coconut sector. Neera production, popular in the states of Maharashtra and Goa and in processing and packaging can be undertaken under the Union Territories of Lakshadweep and Andaman & auspices of Federations of CPS registered with CDB. Nicobar Islands. There is no legal ban on farmers to License for Neera production can be issued to produce Neera in these states and UTs. The Department Federations of CPS registered with CDB. Neera collected of Horticulture, Government of Karnataka has by the Federations through the member CPS can be undertaken a pilot project for production and packing brought to a primary processing centre which is localized of Neera. Now the project is getting ready for within the district. Further processing