World Coconut Day is observed every year 2 September, to Commemorate the establishment of ICC by all coconut-producing country. The World Coconut Day celebrations are carried out in the form of festivals, seminars, and other mode of celebration.
The 2022 World Coconut Day theme was “Growing Coconut for Better Future and Life”. To accommodate the participant’s enthusiasm, this year ICC invited nominations for awards in different catagories which included Best Innovative Farmer, Best Micro Small and Medium Enterprise, Best Coconut Farmer Organization, and Best Coconut Scientist and invited nominations from all the ICC member countries. ICC secretariat being part of the celebration of World Coconut Day organised by Government of India through Coconut Development Board in Kochi, Kerala. ICC also invited a Coconut Song Writer Competition which was open to all globally.
The event was conducted in a hybrid mode, both physically and virtually along with the distribution of National Award & Export Excellence conducted by the Coconut Development Board, India. The inauguration was commenced with the lamp lighting ceremony by Honorable Union Minister of Agriculture, Govt of India Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar, who joined virtually from the Junagarh district of Gujarat state of India. He also inaugurated the state centre of Coconut Development Board in Junagarh. In his address honorable minister mentioned the achievement of India in the coconut production, productivity and export sector. On behalf of Prime Minister of India, he congratulated all the national awrdees for their acheievement in the development of coconut sector in India. The event was attended physically by Dr. N Vijayalakshmi, Chairperson, CDB and Dr. Jelfina C. Alouw, Executive Director, ICC with other dignatories.
In her address, Dr. Jelfina C. Alouw expressed her gratitude to the CDB of the Government of India Ministry of Agriculture for regularly organizing the WCD. She mentioned that we are celebrating World Coconut Day to strengthen our sense of connection and to reinforce the importance of this palm. The WCD is the best time to recognize great achievements and innovation in the entire supply and value chains to prompt motivation, strengthen global and local relationships, and attract global recognition to the coconut and its products, also to stimulate more innovative technologies and exchange ideas in addressing current global issues to climate change, pandemic, and also global political instability, potentially impacting the coconut sector.
The development of the coconut agroindustry for optimizing added-value is an ideal objective for providing employment, generating more income, reducing poverty and stimulating economic growth. However, challenges in the sustainable supply of raw material technology transfer, capacity building, policy, financial and global political support, and global market acceptability need to be addressed these challenges through just the ability of the industry to fully benefit from the market opportunities. A comprehensive and adaptable plan and alternatives need to be developed for better production, better product quality, better environment, better market and better life, as a global community.
In her address Dr. N Vijayalakshmi, Chairperson, CDB, appreciated the work done in the coconut sector and encouraged the coconut stakholders and farmers to adopt the latest cultivation and processing technologies of coconuts. Chairperson mentioned about the board's projects to improve income of farmers through skill development. The other dignatories spoke on the occasion were Mr. Rajendra kataria, IAS, Principal Secretary Horticulture, Government of Karnataka and Mr. K.Babu MLA of Tripunithara constituency. The National Awards and Export Excellence Awards of the Board was distributed jointly by all the dignatories during the occasion.
During the function ICC also announced the nominations received from the member countries in different four catagories and distributed the certificate of participation to the nominees received from India. The winner for each category will be announced during the 50th COCOTECH Conference, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 7-11 November 2022. A exhibition was also organized in which depicting the different coconut value added products, research developments and schemes implemented by CDB showcased. ICC also participated in the exhbitions and displayed the different publications. ICC received many querries on global marketing of coconut products. The function was attended physicaly by the coconut farmers, stakeholders extension officers and researchers from all parts of India.
The program was concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by Mr. Rajeev Bhushan Prasad, Chief Coconut Development Officer, CDB.