Kerala: Coconut crisis will be resolved, assures Nirmala Sitharaman

NEW DELHI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the project announced in the Union Budget aims to address the shortage of coconut and coconut oil. She was replying to the Budget discussion in the Lok Sabha. The minister also said that the allegations by some MPs that Kerala received nothing in the Budget are baseless.

She said coconut is the lifeline of Kerala and the government is promoting the sector.” Due to the shortage in the market, the prices of coconut and coconut oil have increased sharply. The solution is to replace unproductive coconut trees with new high-yielding varieties. This will increase production, ensure better availability of coconut oil in the market, and benefit consumers in Kerala,” the minister said.The minister added that the announcement to support crops such as sandalwood, cocoa and cashew is also beneficial to Kerala. Rejecting the allegation by MP N.K. Premachandran that the cashew sector was neglected; she said the government has presented a comprehensive plan for cashew farmers. The aim is to achieve self-sufficiency in cashew production.