A national stakeholders meet on the Coconut Promotion Scheme will be inaugurated at IIT Madras in Chennai on 7 March 2026, bringing together policymakers, farmers, researchers and industry representatives to deliberate on the future of India’s coconut sector and strategies for its sustainable development.
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan will inaugurate the meeting and outline the policy vision guiding the implementation of the newly announced Coconut Promotion Scheme. The event is expected to serve as a key platform for consultation and coordination among stakeholders involved in the country’s coconut economy.
The meeting will witness the participation of more than 1,000 coconut farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations, researchers, entrepreneurs and policy stakeholders from across the country. The wide participation is intended to ensure that the perspectives of farmers and industry stakeholders are incorporated into policy implementation.
Senior policymakers including the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, along with Secretaries of Agriculture and Horticulture from major coconut growing southern states will participate in the discussions. Elected representatives and senior officials of the Coconut Development Board will also be present during the deliberations.
The stakeholders meet is being organised in the backdrop of the Coconut Promotion Scheme announced in the Union Budget 2026–27. The scheme is aimed at revitalising India’s coconut sector and ensuring long term sustainability in a crop system that supports the livelihoods of nearly 30 million people across the country.
Among these, approximately 10 million individuals are coconut farmers who depend directly on coconut cultivation for their income. The government views the sector as an important component of agricultural diversification, rural employment and export potential.
The Coconut Promotion Scheme proposes a comprehensive and integrated strategy to address several structural challenges affecting the sector. These include declining productivity levels, the ageing and senility of coconut plantations, pest and disease outbreaks, shortages of quality planting material and limited value addition within the value chain.
To address these issues, the scheme outlines a series of interventions aimed at improving productivity, enhancing sustainability and strengthening market opportunities for farmers and entrepreneurs.
Key measures include large scale production and distribution of high quality coconut seedlings to ensure improved planting material. The scheme also proposes expansion of coconut cultivation into suitable potential areas to increase overall production.
Another important component of the programme is the phased replanting and rejuvenation of senile and unproductive coconut gardens. Many coconut plantations across India are ageing and experiencing declining yields, making systematic replanting and crop renewal essential for sustaining production.
The scheme also emphasises the adoption of holistic crop health management practices designed to address pest infestations and plant diseases that affect coconut productivity. Improved agronomic practices and integrated pest management strategies are expected to form an important part of these interventions.
In addition to improving cultivation practices, the programme focuses on strengthening value addition through the establishment of integrated coconut processing units. These facilities are expected to expand opportunities for processing coconut into value added products including coconut oil, desiccated coconut, coconut water, fibre and other derivatives.
Strengthening processing infrastructure is expected to improve farmer incomes while boosting India’s export potential in coconut based products and coir goods.
During the stakeholders meet, state governments will present state specific strategies and interventions aimed at supporting coconut cultivation and strengthening the sector’s value chain. These presentations will highlight regional priorities and implementation plans aligned with the national scheme.
The meeting will also include interactive sessions with farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations, researchers and entrepreneurs. These sessions are intended to facilitate the exchange of experiences, gather feedback from grassroots stakeholders and identify practical solutions for policy refinement.
Officials said the objective of the event is to build a broad national consensus on the implementation strategy for the Coconut Promotion Scheme while ensuring convergence between central and state government initiatives.
The deliberations are also expected to mobilise wider participation from farmers, research institutions and private sector players in order to accelerate innovation and investment in the coconut sector.
The long term vision of the initiative is to transform India into a global leader in coconut and coir product exports by the 2030s while ensuring sustainable farming practices, higher productivity and improved income security for coconut growers.
