Govt working on war footing to control pests, diseases affecting coconut plantations: Agriculture minister

New Delhi, Dec 9 (PTI) The government is working on a war footing to control pests and diseases affecting coconut plantations in southern India and is taking steps to expand the clean plant programme, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Tuesday.

Globally, India ranks first in coconut production and Pollachi in Coimbatore is a major producer with coconut plantations spanning 1.2 lakh hectares, the minister said during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha.

"We have proposed we will set up a coconut cluster in Pollachi, (and the) work is going on," Chouhan said.

Of late, pests and diseases like rhinoceros beetle, red palm weevils, root wilt and ganoderma have been affecting coconut crops and have become a challenge.

"The government is working on a war footing to control the diseases which are affecting coconut cultivation," Chouhan said.

He said the Coconut Development Board is working to produce good, clean coconut plants in its nursery, but the number is not sufficient.

"We are trying to do this clean coconut plant programme for coconut on a larger scale," Chouhan said.

Climate change has emerged as a big crisis for the farm sector with rising temperatures and higher rainfall, he said.

"We are taking steps to help farmers deal with climate change. We are coming out with newer varieties of seeds which are climate resilient," he said.

Underlining that the excessive use of chemical fertiliser affects soil health, Chouhan said the government is sensitising 1 crore farmers to take up natural farming.

"More than 15 lakh farmers are doing natural farming. We are also encouraging organic farming," he said. PTI JD DIV DIV