Coconut Development Board has set up a call centre in Kochi to cater to the needs of coconut growers

The Coconut Development Board (CDB) has established a contact centre under the title 'Friends of Coconut Tree' to respond to the needs of coconut producers for plant protection, harvesting, and other field activities utilising expert coconut climbers. The call centre in the state would be based at the board's headquarters in Kochi. Aside from Kerala, the contact centre will be opened concurrently in traditional coconut farming states like as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka via unit offices of the board in the respective states.

According to a CDB message, 1,552 Friends of Coconut Trees (FoCTs) have registered for the call centre. FoCT services would be offered in the various districts at the block grama panchayat level for carrying out tasks connected to coconut farming such as tree climbing, plant protection, harvesting, seed nut procurement, and nursery management. Coconut growers can get FoCT services through call centres. The contact centres' goal is to improve the coconut sector by connecting FoCTs and palm climbers with farmers, farmer-producer organisations, coconut businesses, and officials from various agriculture departments/institutions. For further information on FoCTs' services, call 0484-2377266 (Extn: 137).

In addition to giving expert tree climbing services, interested competent climbers can register at the phone centre. They can call 8848061240 or email information such as their name, residence, and block/panchayat data. The CDB established the FoCTs project ten years ago to teach coconut climbers, including women, in coconut tree care, handling key pests and diseases and control methods, harvesting, seed nut collecting, and management of coconut nursery, irrigation, and fertiliser application.