Agri Business Incubation Centre

Central Plantations Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Kasaragod, Kerala an ICAR institute is functioning with the objective of enhancing entrepreneurship and improving the income and livelihood of farmers in coconut value chain in Tamilnadu and Kerala. Under National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) scheme, CPCRI in collaboration with Vanavarayar Institute of Agriculture (VIA), Manakkadavu, Pollachi and with the technical guidance of Agribusiness Incubator Center of International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, is establishing Coconut Business Incubator (CBI) at VIA Campus and two Farmers Producers Organization (FPO) at Meenakshipuram village of Kerala state and another at Kottur Malaiyandi pattinam village in Pollachi Taluk. A total financial outlay of 75.50 Lakhs will be shared by VIA, CPCRI and farmers contribution.

For this VIA and CPCRI entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the objective of establishing an institutional system to promote entrepreneurship in coconut value chain, to facilitate access to innovative technologies for enhancing the competitiveness of the coconut industry and to benefit the coconut growers through higher income. This project is the first joint venture of the signatories.

Strategy Of VIA

The strategy is to group the farmers to strengthen their production skills, post-harvest skills, and provide them a technology to produce value added product and facilitate them in branding and marketing. The capacity of the processing unit will be less than the produce at a FPO, so arrangement will be made linking the FPO to small medium enterprise at incubator and Outside. Whereas incubator will support the entrepreneurs, small medium enterprise to minimize the risk .The main aim of the project is to increase the profit per nut of the farmers by not less than Re. 1.