Case Study Report on Promoting Coconut Based Agro ... - APFED

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Pith Pith + Fungus Pith Urea L a y e r s Coir Pith 5.3.2 Coconut tree and shell: Coconut wood has been proven to be a good substitute for many conventional woods. Like conventional wood, the coconut stem is durable, sturdy and versatile and can often be used at a considerably lower cost. To understand the current scenario of coconut wood utilization in this region, we visited Jupier Coconut wood products Manufacturing and Training Centre located at Vayala village of Pattanakkad Block. This is a production cum training unit where coconut wood is being effectively used to prepare building material, interior decorative, wooden floor, furniture, kitchen utensils, and handicrafts. Also coir pith is used in preparation of wooden planks. The availability of raw material is plenty and usually collected from the surrounding area (5 km radius). 40 to 100 year old trees with strait bole, diseases free, dead or live tree are preferred for production. This unit is also responsible to create direct employment opportunity to 11 families, in which 50% are economically poor women and their family income is almost US $ 200 per month/ person. Apart from this about 15 to 25 families are enjoying part time employment in their home, and hence supports livelihood improvement. Wood seasoning is one of the important steps to make wood for long durability. They follow the water soaking method for 48 hours, using small concentration of copper sulfate (5%) and potassium dichromate (5%) mixed in water. They adopted a cost free marketing strategy through personal contact, friends, spread by the word of mouth etc. By doing this they captured good markets in local as well as in the neighboring states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to sell their products. Every month they are getting a profit of about 20 % of it turnover and the monthly turnover is about US $ 4445. The firm also
follows industrial safety measures like providing mask, medical kit, regular antibiotic injunction to the labour. 5.3.3 Non-coconut waste: Apart from the ecological advantages it was also noticed that introduction of multi species crop and livestock component in coconut farm lands improves the non coconut waste biomass which boosts energy security and soil nutrient along with extra income to poor families. Commonly observed non coconut waste biomass are plant and animal residue like green manure, branches, dry leaves, twigs, cow dung, urine and excreta, mushroom waste etc and kitchen waste. In the study area, a majority of the households use this non coconut biomass waste to convert it to fertilizer or energy for households and to earn extra income for the family. Table 4 indicates that a single mushroom compost unit can yield up to 0.012 to 0.018 tones per month and the income generated from each unit is about US $ 2.5. We also visited two vermin compost units and analyzed that the per month vermin-compost fertilizer produced from these two units were 0.016 to 0.20 tones and extra income raised about US $ 4.5. The biogas unit is playing impotent role household energy security and cost saving. Every month they are producing about 60 mt 3 , which full fill one-month energy need. Liquid waste obtained from these units is effectively utilized as fertilizer/ pesticide/ herbicide for household plants. Table 4: Type of products, their yield and income generated from Non-coconut waste Particulars No of Yield / month Income or saving Raw material used units (per month) Mushroom 1 0.012 to 0.018 US $ 2.5 Mushroom waste, composting tone Vermi compost 2 0.016 to 0.020 US $ 4.5 Kitchen waster green manure livestock Biogass 1 60 mt 3 US $ 15 Kitchen waste+ rabbit waste + cow dung (Source: from field survey, 2010) 5. 4 People participation and Capacity building To make this program successful and sustainable, Peekay tree crop foundation adapted a strategy involving people‟s participation and a capacity building program through the promotion of Self help groups, farm clubs and a charitable society at the project site. To impart knowledge, sharing information and technology and also to
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