Production and distribution of planting material

• Establishment of Regional Coconut Nurseries.
• Establishment of Demonstration-cum-Seed Production Farms for coconut.
• Setting up of coconut nurseries attached to the DSP Farms.
• Aid to set up coconut seed gardens @ Rs.6 lakhs and coconut nurseries @ Rs.2 lakhs.

Expansion of area under coconut

• New planning assistance @ Rs.8,000 per hectare.

Integrated farming for productivity improvement

• Removal of disease advanced palms @ Rs.250 per palm.
• Laying out demonstration plots in farmers’ garden @ Rs.35,000 per ha.
• Aid to organic manure units @ Rs.20,000 per unit.

Technology demonstration

• Financial assistance for setting up of pilot plants for integrated coconut processing @ 50% of cost of building and machinery or maximum of Rs.5 lakhs.
• Aid to technological research.
• Financial assistance to coconut based industries @ 25% of the cost of plant building and machinery or Rs.2.50 lakhs whichever is less.
• Financial assistance for introduction of Agmark / ISI standards in coconut processing units @ 25% of cost of laboratory equipments or Rs.1 lakh whichever is less.
• Grant-in-aid for fabrication and development of machinery for coconut processing/ cultivation / plant protection @ 25% of the cost or Rs.5 lakhs, whichever is less.
• Techno-economic studies on coconut products.
• Consultancy service on production, processing and marketing.

Market promotion and statistics

• Market information and intelligence service.
• Modernization of coconut processing by introduction of improved copra dryer / other processing machinery / equipment @ 25% cost of dryer / equipment or maximum Rs.10,000 whichever is less.
• Surveys and evaluation studies.

Information and information technology

• Production of publications in different languages including grant-in-aid to State Governments/Universities for production of publications.
• Production and screening of films including grant-in-aid to State Governments/Universities for production of films.
• Participation in exhibitions and fairs.
• Conducting seminars and workshops.
• Awards to best growers, master craftsmen, industrialists, processors and exporters.
• Training youths in harvesting and plant protection of coconut.
• Training farmers in scientific cultivation and post harvest processing of coconut.
• Training in the manufacture of coconut based handicrafts.
• National award to the best research worker or workers in product / machinery/ equipment development.
• Establishment of National Information Centre cum Electronic Data Processing Unit.

Human resources development

• Training to improve technical skills of managerial and supervisory personnel.
• Training and visits to understand and appraise technologies.

1. Production & distribution of planting material.

Aid to set up Coconut Seed Gardens and Nurseries

Objective: To establish seed gardens and nurseries of elite planting materials for the large scale production of seedlings of promising hybrid combinations/cultivars by providing financial assistance.

Aid to seed gardens

1.	Maximum financial assistance shall be limited to Rs.6.00 lakhs phased over a period of three years @ Rs.3.00 lakhs during the 1st year and Rs.1.50 lakhs each during the subsequent two years. However the financial assistance shall be based on the total area of the seed garden and in any case shall be limited to 25% of the cost of establishment of nucleus seed garden.
2.	Registered/approved private and other specified coconut nursery owners, cooperative/charitable institutions, NGOs, farmers’ associations, etc. who own a minimum of 4 ha of suitable land for the establishment of the seed gardens will be considered for the assistance.
3.	Minimum area of the nucleus seed garden shall be 4.00 ha and the seed garden established should have a capacity to produce a minimum 50,000 quality seedlings.
4.	Quality seedlings of identified cultivars shall be procured from the approved agencies such as CPCRI, State Agricultural University, etc. and planting programme shall be finalized by a Committee consisting of Officials of the Board/SAUs/CPCRI/Department of Agriculture /Horticulture.
5.	Application shall be submitted in the prescribed form with the following documents.
	a) A copy of the possession certificate of the land
	b) The project proposal along with a sketch of the area proposed for establishing the seed garden
6.	On receipt of the application, officers of the Board/SAUs/CPCRI shall inspect the site and on the basis of the report, the Board shall issue administrative approval for implementation of the programme in the proposed area.
7.	The strengthening of infrastructure facilities like fencing, land development, development of irrigation sources, etc. shall also be covered under the project fund in addition to the expenditure required for the planting and maintenance of the seed garden for three years.
8.	The financial assistance shall be extended by the Board for three years only; thereafter the seed garden shall be maintained by the beneficiary at his /her own cost. Quality seedlings of promising cultivars shall be produced when the farm reaches production stage, with the technical guidance of the Board.
9.	If the beneficiary has availed himself/ herself of finance from financial institutions like banks, the incentive shall be linked to the credit-linked project.
10.	Seedlings produced by the nurseries under the scheme can be linked with Board’s area expansion programme and other programmes as per the prescribed norms of the Board.
11.	A sign board depicting “Coconut seed garden assisted by Coconut Development Board, Government of India” shall be prominently displayed by the beneficiary.

Aid to nurseries

1.	The assistance shall be limited to 25% of the cost of production or Rs.2.00 lakhs, whichever is less.
2.	Registered/approved private and other specified nursery owners, NGOs, Government Farms and Institutions who own not less than 0.10 ha coconut nursery will be benefited under the scheme.
3.	The production capacity of such nursery unit shall be a maximum of 25,000 seedlings annually from an area of 0.40 ha.
4.	Quality seed nuts of promising cultivars shall be procured by the beneficiary from approved agencies, viz. CPCRI, State Agriculture Departments and Coconut Development Board or collected from the selected mother palms under the technical guidance of the Board. The selection of mother palms and seed gardens shall be done by a Technical Committee consisting of officers of Coconut Development Board, SAU or CPCRI and Department of Horticulture/ Agriculture of the respective state.
5.	Quality seedlings produced shall be sold only after certification by technical committee, consisting of the officials of the Board and Department of Agriculture/ Horticulture.
6.	The beneficiary shall submit an application for financial assistance in the prescribed format issued by the Board.
7.	The beneficiary shall be selected only after inspection of the nursery site by a Committee constituted by the Board or on the basis of the credit linked approved project.
8.	The seedlings produced by the unit have to be sold at rates fixed in consultation with the Board.
9.	The financial assistance will be released in two installments. Thereafter the unit shall be maintained by the beneficiary at his/her own cost.
10.	A signboard depicting “Coconut nursery assisted by Coconut Development Board, Government of India” shall be prominently displayed by the beneficiary.
11.	Infrastructure like land, irrigation source, pumpset, etc. is not covered under the scheme. The cost of production/maintenance of the nursery shall be as per the norms fixed by the Board.
12.	Seedlings produced by the nurseries under the scheme can be linked with Board’s area expansion programme and other programmes as per the prescribed norms of the Board.