India will host the 45th Cocotech meeting of the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) here during July 2-6. The theme of the meeting is “Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development of the Coconut Industry”.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Mr T.K. Jose, Chairman, Coconut Development Board, and Mr Mani C. Kappen, Vice-Chairman, said that around 200 delegates representing various countries are expected to attend the meeting, to be held at Hotel Gateway. Apart from APCC member countries, delegates from the US, Singapore and Brazil will also attend.
The meeting will have a comprehensive range of technical sessions on the success stories of model coconut farmers and small to medium-scale coconut processors/entrepreneurs. New technologies and research and development updates on coconut-based farming systems, product diversification and coconut processing will come up for discussion.
The session also includes a one-day field visit on July 5 by delegates to model coconut farms, coconut processing centres and interaction with progressive coconut growers from traditional coconut growing States.
Issues and topics related to the global economic crisis, climate change as well as the carbon credit market will also be discussed at the meeting.
APCC is an inter-governmental organisation set up in 1969 under the aegis of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP). Headquartered in Jakarta, APCC’s mission is to promote, coordinate and harmonise coconut development activities of the Asian Pacific region to achieve maximum economic development and for strengthening the regional cooperation among the coconut producing countries. India is one of the founder-members of the 18-nation APCC that has 16 regular member-countries.
Cocotech is the APCC’s permanent panel on coconut technology and it is held in two years. The meeting provides a common platform for producers/progressive farmers, processors, machinery manufacturers, exporters and other stakeholders.
