Coconut Development Programme
Support for the islands' main crop — subsidised copra driers, dwarf coconut seedlings suited to the islands, accident insurance for the people who climb and harvest the palms, and removal and replanting of old low-yielding trees.
Run by: Department of Agriculture, Union Territory of Lakshadweep
- Copra driers
- Given at subsidised rate
- Planting material
- Dwarf coconut seedlings
- Climbers & tappers
- Accident insurance cover
- Where
- All inhabited islands
Overview
Coconut is the backbone of farming in Lakshadweep. The islands are coral sand under an almost unbroken coconut cover, and copra (dried coconut kernel) and coir are the main farm income for most families. There is little room to grow anything else at scale, so the Department of Agriculture builds its farm support around making the coconut holding earn more.
The Coconut Development Programme, run within the department's homestead-farming work, has a few main parts. Copra driers are given at a subsidised rate so kernels can be dried properly even in the island humidity and the long monsoon, instead of spoiling in the open. Dwarf coconut seedlings are supplied — shorter palms that are easier and safer to harvest and good for tender coconut and neera (the fresh sap). The people who climb and harvest palms, including neera tappers, are covered by an accident insurance so a fall does not wipe out a family. Old, diseased and very low-yielding palms are cut, removed and replaced with young seedlings, and farmers get technical advice, quality planting material, fertiliser, equipment and help with soil and water conservation on the thin coral soil.
The programme also encourages value addition — neera tapping, and products like coconut sugar — so a grower earns more than the raw-copra price. Subsidy rates, the insurance premium share and the seedling supply are fixed by the department each year and move with the budget; the UT's 2026-27 budget provides about ₹5.27 crore (net) under the combined "Agriculture and Allied Activities" head. Check the current rates and what is on offer this year with the Directorate of Agriculture at Kavaratti or the Agricultural Demonstration Unit on your island.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- Copra driers supplied at a subsidised rate, so kernels dry well through the humid island monsoon instead of spoiling in the open.
- Dwarf coconut seedlings suited to the islands — shorter palms, easier and safer to harvest, and good for tender coconut and neera.
- Accident insurance cover for coconut climbers, harvesters and neera tappers, so a fall on the job does not ruin the family.
- Cutting and removal of old, diseased and very low-yielding palms, with young seedlings given to replant the gap.
- Technical advice, quality planting material, fertiliser, equipment and soil-and-water conservation help for the coconut holding.
- Support for value addition such as neera tapping and coconut sugar, so the grower earns more than the plain copra price.
Who is eligible
State schemes usually state their criteria as prose rather than a checklist. This is that prose, unpacked — the department’s verification is what decides.
You qualify if
- A coconut grower or farming household on one of the inhabited islands of Lakshadweep
- Owns or holds a coconut garden / palms on the island
- For the insurance cover: works as a coconut climber, harvester or neera tapper, within the age limit set by the department
- Registered with the Agricultural Demonstration Unit / Department of Agriculture on the island for the component applied for
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- Proof of identity and island residence (Aadhaar, ration card)
- Ownership or possession record for the coconut garden / palms
- For the drier subsidy: quotation or bill for the copra drier, as the department asks
- For climber insurance: proof of working as a climber / harvester / neera tapper
- Bank passbook first page for the subsidy or claim payment
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Approach the Agricultural Demonstration Unit on your island
Tell the Unit, which works under the Department of Agriculture, which part of the Coconut Development Programme you need — copra drier, dwarf seedlings, climber insurance, or removal of old palms — and ask for this year's rates and forms.
- 2
Apply and get the holding checked
Submit the form with your identity, residence and garden-ownership papers. Department staff verify the coconut holding, or the climber's work, before sanctioning the seedlings, the drier subsidy or the insurance enrolment.
- 3
Receive the support and the subsidy
Collect the dwarf seedlings or the copra drier and get the subsidy share settled to your bank account; for insurance, the premium share is paid and the cover starts. Old-palm removal is scheduled with the Unit.
If something goes wrong
Missing from the list, or payment stuck — here is the channel the department itself publishes for it.
- Issues with the drier subsidy, seedling supply, insurance enrolment or old-palm removal should first be raised with the Agricultural Demonstration Unit on your island.
- If unresolved, use CPGRAMS — the central government's general public-grievance portal, applicable in Lakshadweep — at pgportal.gov.in, or contact the UT's General Administration Department at 04896-262321 / [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
Why does the programme push dwarf coconut varieties?
Dwarf palms are shorter, so they are easier and safer to climb and harvest, they start bearing sooner, and they suit tender-coconut and neera (fresh sap) use. On small island holdings that makes the garden more productive and less risky to work.
What does the climber insurance cover?
It is an accident cover for the people who climb and harvest coconut palms, including neera tappers — a fall or on-the-job injury is a real risk in this work, and the cover protects the worker's family. This is typically delivered through the Coconut Development Board's Kera Suraksha scheme, which nationally offers ₹7 lakh sum assured for 24-hour accident risk including death, at an annual premium of ₹956 — of which the beneficiary usually pays only ₹239, with the rest subsidised. Confirm the exact structure and sum insured for Lakshadweep with the Agricultural Demonstration Unit.
How much subsidy do I get on a copra drier?
The drier is given at a subsidised rate, but the exact percentage and ceiling are set by the Department of Agriculture each year and change with the budget. Confirm the current rate with the Agricultural Demonstration Unit on your island before you buy.
Facts checked against lakshadweep.gov.in on 8 September 2026. editorial policy.