Friends of Coconut Tree: Goa Revamps Coconut Harvesting

ETVBHARAT

'Friends of Coconut Tree' is an initiative launched in Goa by the Goa Agricultural Department, under Chief Minister, Dr. Pramod Sawant, in partnership with Coconut Development Board, Kochi. This programs aims to revive an age old tradition ingrained in the Goan culture and furnish it with modern techniques to increase safety and efficiency. The aim of the program is to endow the youth with the contemporary knowledge and an up-to-date skillset so that they can continue the craft of coconut harvesting.&nbsp;Goa has a thriving coconut economy but requires an increased amount of skilled workers.&nbsp;The project is trying to address this gap. The program teaches the youth how to climb trees with the aid of safety machinery as opposed to the customary jute rope, but the training does not end there. It educates the youth on the appropriate coconut farming and cultivation techniques. The initiative covers all the bases such as application of fertilizers and plant watering routines as to provide them with a strong foundation.&nbsp;"This program is necessary because most households have at least one or two coconut trees, and at least one person in the family should have the skill to know when and how to harvest them," believes Shweta Khushali Gaonkar, a coconut harvesting trainer.&nbsp;

Transcript

00:00In Goa, a transformative initiative is reviving a fading tradition and empowering communities

00:18with new skills.

00:21Aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of self-reliance, the state is rejuvenating

00:26traditional occupations.

00:28The Chief Minister, Dr. Pramodh Sawan, the Goa Agriculture Department in partnership with

00:33the Coconut Development Board, COCHI, has launched Friends of Coconutry, a program aimed

00:39at preserving coconut harvesting while equipping youth with modern tools and techniques to continue

00:45the craft with pride.

00:48You know, one of the best initiatives that FOCT has done, that they are training all our local

00:55use and with the safe machinery to climb on the tray for harvesting purpose.

01:02Goa has a thriving coconut economy but also a growing need for skilled harvesters.

01:07Addressing this gap, a comprehensive training program now equips local youth with everything

01:12from safe tree-climbing techniques using modern gear to best practices in cultivation and

01:17the best practices in cultivation.

01:18pest control and value addition.

01:19For Rohi Das Naik, a traditional coconut harvester, a traditional coconut harvester, a traditional coconut

01:24harvester.

01:25the shift from jute ropes to safety gear is more than a change in technique.

01:29It is a modernization of a generation's own trade.

01:30It is a modernization of a generation's old trade.

01:36with everything from safe tree climbing techniques using modern gear to best practices in cultivation, pest control and value addition.

01:46For Rohidas Naik, a traditional coconut harvester, the shift from jute ropes to safety gear is more than a change in technique.

01:54It's a modernization of a generations old trade.

01:58When the machine comes to the government, the government will be able to get a tanning,

02:07someone will be able to get a tanning, someone will be able to get a tanning,

02:11and everyone will be able to get a tanning.

02:16This program needs to be used because there are two trees in our homes.

02:24The Friends of Coconut Tree program is preserving a precious part of Goa's agricultural heritage

02:36while breathing new life into a profession at risk of extinction.

02:40By imparting modern techniques to the youth,

02:43it is also making coconut harvesting a viable and attractive profession.

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