Abstract

                                The coconut is an important crop, particularly in Madras where there is an area of about 6-2 lakhs of acres producing abont 1,500 million nuts and accounting for 41% of the acreage and 46% of the production in. India. On the West-Const where 69% of the area under coconut in this State is concentrated, the crop is of considerable economic importance. The present production in India which is estimated at 3,300 million nuts falls short of the requirements of the country by about 50%. This naturally results in abnormal rise in prices and necessitates import- ing coconut products from foreign countries. There is, therefore urgent need to step up production. This can be done by two ways: (1) by extending the existing area under the crop, and (2) by increasing produe- tion of the existing ares. The first is a long-range method; and the production from the existing area can be stepped up by adopting proper manuring and cultivation. This paper deals with this aspect of the subject.

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