Mangaluru: The ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CPCRI), Kasaragod, celebrated World Coconut Day with a gathering of 299 delegates. The event was inaugurated by Rajmohan Unnithan, MP, Kasaragod.CPCRI organised the international workshop on ‘Strengthening Coconut Genebanks for a Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Future, Stakeholders’ Meet’ supported by NABARD, and awareness training on the protection of plant varieties and farmers’ rights, along with the inauguration of a sales outlet.Unnithan hailed coconut as the “Kalpa Vriksha” that sustains livelihoods, but cautioned that farmers face hardship from climate change and volatile prices. While rising prices offer some relief, he urged greater focus on value addition, product diversification, and exports to establish coconut products as a global brand.K Balachandra Hebbar, director, ICAR-CPCRI, underlined the institute’s global leadership in coconut research and collaboration. Hebbar pointed to climate change, fluctuating markets, and emerging pest and disease threats such as rugose whitefly and black-headed caterpillar. He highlighted germplasm conservation, sustainable soil and water management, fertigation, carbon sequestration, and waste-to-wealth technologies as vital for resilience and farmer prosperity, noting that CPCRI’s 464 accessions hold promise for future breeding.The inaugural session was presided over by Dr Sanjay Kumar Singh, DDG (Hort. Sci.), ICAR, New Delhi. He stressed the need for long-term planning for the success of agriculture. He also emphasised a common thrust area for all coconut researchers for the upliftment of the sector.About 30 foreign representatives of the International Coconut Community (ICC), from Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Brazil, France, and the Caribbean islands, participated. Jelfina C Alouw, director general, ICC, Jakarta, in her keynote, called coconut a climate-vulnerable crop facing global competition and urged ICC member countries to work harmoniously, share technologies and germplasm, and link resilience with value addition and shared prosperity.
