Decomposing the performance metrics of coconut cultivation in the South Indian States
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
Abstract
Coconut (Cocos nucifera) is extensively cultivated and used as a staple ingredient in Indian
cuisines, especially in the South Indian cuisines. In India, other than edible purposes, coconut
is widely used in religious practices and, it is considered as symbol of prosperity. Despite
these facts, several upturns and downturns occurring in the growth trends of coconut in
recent periods irrespective of geographical differences. This study attempts to decipher the
growth trends in the area, the production and yield of coconut in major coconut producing
states in India from 2000–2001 to 2017–2018. Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are the
states in India where coconut palms are extensively cultivated and produced in large quantities.
These states together contribute to approximately 84 per cent of the total area for
cultivation of coconut and account for over 87 per cent of total production in the country. We
analyse the growth trends in coconut cultivation using appropriate growth equations to
estimate the growth rates and instabilities in growth trends. Besides, we use decomposition
analysis to find the role of area, price, yield and crop mix effects on coconut production. The
results reveal that Karnataka secured high growth in coconut production and its productivity
and recorded better acceleration but fluctuated heavily between the phases of years under
investigation. It shows that the price effect and yield effect play a crucial role in the total
change of coconut production among the selected states. Based on the results, we recommend
the local governments and other dedicated authorities to ensure that coconut growers
have better access to modern technology, quality inputs, marketing and credit facilities following
local necessity. Eventually, these measures can attract and encourage many new
farmers into coconut cultivation and thereby achieving better advances in coconut farming.