Department of Wood Science, Kerala Agricultural University and Coconut Development Board have joined hands to set up a furniture demonstration unit that will tap the abundance of coconut timber supply in the State.

The project, for which an outlay of Rs. 50 lakh has been sanctioned, is linked to Coconut Board’s ongoing replanting and rejuvenation of coconut gardens programme. The Board is providing aid to coconut farmers to remove senile palms and to replace them with new ones.

According to an estimate by the Board, there are a total of 18 million coconut palms in the State of which 14,83,107 have been reported to be senile.

This implies that there is abundant supply of coconut timber in the State though the palms are now cut down and mostly wasted, said E.V. Anoop of the Wood Science Department.

A Board official said that the removal of senile and sick palms was in progress. Root-wilt affected palms are concentrated in the districts of Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki though the Coconut Board programme is on throughout the State.

The furniture unit is meant to make export-oriented, high-end furniture. It is also expected that people in Kerala will give up their apparent aversion to using coconut timber for making furniture.

The furniture unit, which will be a technology demonstration facility, is being set up in collaboration with the Kodungalloor Coconut Producer Company and Kerala Furniture Consortium, said Mr. Anoop.

The response has been positive as coconut producer companies and furniture-makers are eager to utilise the new opportunity, he added. The venture will work on a value chain model involving coconut timber extraction, conversion on site, design and manufacture. One of the most difficult areas for farmers now is to find labour for cutting down the palms and transporting the timber.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by K.A.Martin / Kochi – August 27th, 2015