SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE, KNOWLEDGE GAIN AND PROBLEM FACED BY THE COCONUT GROWERS OF CHIKMAGALUR DISTRICT OF KARNATAKA STATE

Coconut is one of the most important crops of developing countries. In India, it is being grown in more than fourteen states as commercial plantation crop. The coconut is popularly known as the tree of life. The coconut is considered such because of the many uses it can provide, starting from its roots up to its main fruit and still up to its very leaves. Majority of the coconut growers in the district are facing the problems of labor scarcity and shortage of skilled labor during the time of harvesting. The traditional method of harvesting the nuts using knife with bamboo sticks for dwarf trees and physically climbing the tall trees is quite risky and accident prone. Twenty farmers were selected for each training programme randomly from the coconut growing taulks of Chikmagalur district viz kadur, tarikere and Chikmagalur taluk. The selection was made in joint collaboration with department of Horticulture, CGS, NGO’s, SHG’s, Gram panchayat/Krishi Bhavans through media coverage likely by print and electronic medias. Thus forming, total of eighty participants for four training programmes. The duration of training programmes was for six days. Apart from the skill demonstration of coconut climbing machine various aspects on coconut crop management