For satisfying the national demand for coconut by the year 2003, about 3,000 million nuts are to be produced in place of the present production of 2,800 million nuts. It is also necessary to prevent the declining trend experienced in desiccated coconut and to take effective steps to recapture and sustain the country's market share of DC in the world market which was around 60,000 tons as against 50,995 tons produced in 2001. To achieve the objectives, the coconut cultivation Board has commenced a crash programme. It involves a subsidy component for fertilizers, moisture conservation, replanting and new planting. Extension and infrastructure development and also provision for credit to introduce improved irrigation systems also form essential components of the crash programme.