TIRUPUR: Coconut farmers have urged the Tamil Nadu govt to relax conditions imposed to develop the neera industry, saying the move could help quadruple their income.The state govt in 2017 permitted ‘neera’ manufacturing, following demands from coconut growers. A govt order issued in December 2017 laid down multiple conditions for licensing and production.A Tirupur-based farmers’ producer company, headquartered in Palladam, has been producing neera by extracting sap from the coconut spadix using improved processes and selling it in sealed, hygienic tetra packs. The product has secured quality certification after multi-stage tests conducted by central and state agencies, including the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, and has also received patent recognition, the company said.K Balasubramanian, managing director of Global Farmers Producers Company, said neera could significantly improve farm incomes compared to conventional coconut sales. He claimed value addition through neera could provide up to four times higher returns for farmers and generate year-round rural employment because tapping, processing, packaging and distribution create continuous work.The company began sales in 2022 and has since exported five containers to Gulf and East Asian countries, he said, highlighting export demand for packaged, certified products.However, farmers and producers argue that current licensing terms restrict scaling up. One key condition, they said, requires a farmer with 100 coconut trees to tap neera from only five trees. Another requirement mandates that 1,000 members pool in Rs 1,000 each to form a company, register it, and only then undertake production, among other stipulations.Farmers have urged the newly incumbent govt to review the 2017 framework, remove restrictive clauses and allow growers to produce and sell neera based on their capacity and choice, including in domestic and overseas markets. At the same time, they said enforcement should remain strict against adulteration and other violations to protect consumer safety and the credibility of the product.Coconut farmers submitted a representation to the Prime Minister seeking recognition of tender coconut water as Bharat’s natural drink, permission to sell it on railways and approval for supply to the defence forces. They also sought health endorsement, cold-chain subsidies and state branding support.
