The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Pollachi tender coconut for European market

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 14, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Pollachi tender coconut for European market

By Our Staff Reporter

POLLACHI, MARCH 13. Pollachi's tender coconut will soon be available in aluminium cans in Europe. The first container with five lakh cans, to be despatched to London, was flagged of here today by the Union minister of State for Commerce and Industry, E.V.K.S. Elangovan.

For the first time, tender coconut from this region will compete with those from Thailand and Vietnam in the European market. It is manufactured by the Pollachi-based Sakthi Coco Products with the brand name `Tender Coco.'

Mr. Elangovan said the Centre would extend all the help to farmers and entrepreneurs to export coconut products by providing technical knowhow and data on export opportunities across the globe. The Union Government would give loans with capital subsidy, he said.

Cluster for coconut industry

"If the farmers and industrialists come forward to start a cluster development programme for coconut products in Pollachi with 50 acres of land, the Centre would provide assistance to the tune of Rs.50 crores under industrial infrastructure upgradation scheme, like a cluster for hosiery in Tirupur and auto spare parts in Chennai," he said.

According to C.M. Kamaraj, Managing Director of Sakthi Coco Products, the shelf life of the 250 ml `Tender Coco' can is one-year with or without refrigeration and no artificial colour or flavour is added. The company has got the quality compliance certificate ISO 9000 and European accreditation — HACCP certificate.

"Earlier we tried to export tender coconut in pouches. Due to its short shelf life of five months, foreign buyers were not enthused by the product," Mr. Kamaraj told The Hindu .

At present the company has signed agreements with New Zealand, United Kingdom and Dubai for five lakh cans each per month. "Once the orders increase, we would increase our production capacity to 50,000 cans a day from the present 10,000 cans," he said. The price of 250 ml can is Rs. 25 in the domestic market.

Boon to farmers

The value added product would be a great boon to the coconut growers of Pollachi as it would ensure price stability. for their products. Normally during monsoon, there are no takers for the tender coconut, which resulted in decline in prices. and the price come down sharply.

Thailand and Vietnam are the main competitors for India in the international market and Indian tender coconut receives evoked good response because of its taste, he says Mr. Kamaraj. says.

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