Growth in Area, Production and Productivity of Coconut in Karnataka

The growth in area, production and productivity of coconut in Karnataka and its districts was estimated using compounded annual growth rate analysis. The necessary secondary data was collected for a period of fifteen years from 2000-2001 to 2014- 15. Growth rates in area, production and productivity of coconut in Karnataka state were positive and significant at 1 per cent. With respect to the districts of Karnataka, Tumkur, Hassan, Chitradurga and Chikamagalur were the major coconut growing areas. There was found to be a significantly positive growth in ten districts and significantly negative growth rate in six districts at 1 and 5 per cent levels of significance. With respect to production, Tumkur, Hassan, Chitradurga and Mandya were the districts with the highest production. The growth rates in productivity were significantly positive in twenty two districts and significantly negative in two districts at 1 and 5 per cent levels of significance. Chikkaballapura had the highest growth rate in production within a period of eight years, which was significant at 5 per cent. Bangalore rural had the highest negative growth rate which was significant at 1 per cent. The declining trend in coconut area in Mandya should also be addressed. The productivity of coconut was highest in districts of Yadgiri, Ramnagara, Chikkaballapura followed by others. The growth rates in productivity were positive and highly significantly in twenty nine districts and non-significantly negative in only one district viz., Yadgiri. Overall, the coconut scenario in Karnataka has been improving, particularly after 2007, as a result of drastic increase in productivity 2007 onwards which may be attributed to the bumper production in 2006 and NHM initiatives in the subsequent years.