About Coconut Development Board
- The Coconut Development Board (CDB) is a statutory body established by the Government of India for the integrated development of coconut production and utilisation.
- Its major focus is on increasing productivity, improving quality, expanding cultivation and promoting product diversification and value addition.
- The Board functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
- It came into existence on 12 January 1981 under the Coconut Development Board Act, 1979.
- Its headquarters is located at Kochi, Kerala.
I. Origin and Legal Basis of CDB
- The Coconut Development Board Act, 1979 provides the statutory basis for the establishment of the Board.
- The Act was enacted on 17 March 1979.
- The Act came into force on 12 January 1981, when the Board became operational.
- The Act provides for the development, under the control of the Union, of the coconut industry and matters connected with it.
- The CDB is constituted as a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal.
II. Headquarters and Administrative Structure
- Headquarters: Kochi, Kerala
- Administrative Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
- The Board has regional offices at:
- Bengaluru
- Chennai
- Guwahati
- Patna
- It also has State Centres and Demonstration-cum-Seed Production (DSP) Farms in different parts of the country.
III. Key Objectives of CDB
The major objectives of the Coconut Development Board include:
- Increasing coconut production and productivity.
- Improving the quality and yield of coconut.
- Expanding coconut cultivation into potential and non-traditional areas.
- Promoting quality planting material.
- Encouraging modern technologies in cultivation and processing.
- Promoting product diversification and by-product utilisation.
- Developing post-harvest processing and marketing technologies.
- Promoting value addition in coconut-based products.
- Supporting research and technological development related to coconut.
- Strengthening the coconut value chain from cultivation to processing and marketing.
Conclusion
- The Coconut Development Board serves as the institutional backbone of India’s coconut sector by connecting cultivation, productivity enhancement, research, processing, skill development, value addition and exports. Its interventions are helping transform coconut from a traditional plantation crop into a diversified agricultural value chain, contributing to farmer incomes, rural employment and export competitiveness.
| This concept has been elaborately discussed in the following article – India’s Coconut Sector: From the “Tree of Life” to a Global Growth Engine |