Women Coconut Pollinators Scale New Heights
Posted by Unknown in Coconut, India, Pollination, Women on Sunday, 12 May 2013
M. J. PRABU
The Hindu
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| A woman climber bagging the receptive flower. Photo: Special Arrangement |
It takes 5- 10 minutes for them to complete the work on a single tree
The
coconut pollination (technically referred to as hybridisation) sector,
once a men’s monopoly in Kerala, is today being conquered successfully
by women also. Seed-nuts of hybrid coconut palms are produced through
artificial pollination.
In Kasaragod district, the friends of coconut trees programme (FoCT) for taining women in coconut polllination organized by the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), evoked good response from enterprising women.
Thirty-four
ladies, mostly house-wives, underwent training in pollination
techniques, an area all along dominated by men. In addition, 207
unemployed rural youth were also trained in the techniques.
Considered a tough job
Earlier women
were not much interested in climbing the trees it was always considered a
tough job and a male bastion. But today they want to prove they are
also capable and on par with men in farm work.
Feedback
studies show that the training programme in artificial pollination done
by women is a big hit among rural women in the region as it helps in
their financial empowerment. Among the five groups functioning in the
district now, two groups comprise only women.
“From the usual
women dominated leaf plating, broom making, and copra drying for
instance, women started climbing the trees, harvesting nuts, cleaning
the crown,carrying out plant protection methodsm, and today they are
happy that our institute has played a major role in making them
pollinators,” says Dr. V. George, Director, CPCRI. The programme is
funded by the Coconut Development Board (CDB).
Coconut
pollination technique is a highly skilled activity which has to be done
on newly opened inflorescence located on the crown of the tree. It takes
only 5-10 minutes to pollinate a bunch on the tree.
Different steps
The different
steps in this technique are pollen collection and processing, removal of
male flowers from the inflorescence, tying a bag on the inflorescence,
dusting of pollen, confirming the receptive stage of female flowers,
repeating the same procedures till the last flower comes to receptivity,
and removal of the cloth bag after ensuring that the last button is
also pollinated.
These laborious steps demand expertise, sound knowledge on floral biology of coconut trees, and good skill.
Climbing the
tree and sitting on top of the crown to pollinate is a difficult job
since the trees keep swaying during heavy winds. Also the height of the
tree creates a scare in some climbers.
Number of times
The pollinator
needs to climb a tree at least 5-6 times to pollinate a bunch. On the
first day he/she has to remove the male flowers from the opened
infloresence and cover the bunch with a bag.
From the second
day onwards (some times alternative days) they need to pollinate
according to the receptive stage of the female flower.
There are two
parts in procedure one the lab scientists keep the pollen (processed
male flowers ready) and the women climbers take it with them to be
sprayed on matured female flowers in the crown.
At present a
private contractor selected through the institute pays Rs.600 a day for
each woman climber who pollinates 20-22 trees in a day. “Though the main
objective of the programme was to address the problem of labour
shortage, it has changed the social status of coconut climbers as they
are known today, as skilled professionals in the sector.
“Their services
are highly valued by the coconut farmers of the locality and nearby
panchayaths because of their dedication and sincerity towards their
profession,” says Dr. George.
Daily labourers
Before
attending this training programme the women worked as daily labourers,
able to earn hardly Rs. 100 per day. But after attending the training
and doing it as a full time work their income has improved.
“The women are
doing an excellent job in a professional manner. Unlike some male
coconut climbers, women are not addicted to alcohol and do not absent
themselves from work.
“Once they
commit they are on the job. It is heartening to see them comfortably
sitting on top of the coconut tree carrying out with ease the different
operations,” says Chethan, a coconut garden owner, who has made use of
the women training skills in his farm.
It takes only
5-10 minutes for these women to do the pollination work for a tree. The
process needs to be repeated 4-5 times for ensuring good yield and the
workers are engaged on a contract.
For details readers can contact Dr. George V. Thomas, Director, CPCRI, Kasaragod: 671-124, email: georgevthomas@yahoo.com, directorcpcri@gmail.com, phone: 04994- 232333.
