Amaravati, December 27, 2025: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu wrote to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on December 16, seeking central backing for a dedicated Integrated Coconut Development Programme.
Andhra Pradesh, despite ranking fourth in national coconut area at 1.08 lakh hectares, leads in productivity with 16,000 nuts per hectare and produces 1,735 million nuts yearly. The crop sustains lakhs of small and marginal farmers, mainly in coastal districts.
The proposed initiative requests ₹200 crore to establish processing units for items such as virgin coconut oil, desiccated coconut, coconut sugar, and coir products. It aims to raise farm-gate prices from ₹11-15 to ₹35-40 per nut, reduce losses from pests and weather by 20-25%, and create 15,000 rural jobs through cluster-based infrastructure and improved marketing.
