WOMEN ARE TRAINED IN TREE CLIMBING

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The Coconut Development Board recently came up with a scheme to train group of people, including women, to use the devices to climb and pluck the nuts from the coconut trees. Women have proved to be quite good at it. In recent months, a large number of women have been trained in going up the coconut trees using the mechanised climbing devices.

Women of Kerala are scaling new heights. Indeed, with traditional coconut pluckers turning a vanishing tribe in the State of Kerala, getting the nut down from a top had in recent years, turned out to be headache.

Mr.Reena, who has been trained to pluck coconuts from the coconut trees. She sells about 200 nuts daily and earns around Rs. 1000/-. She also plans to form a women's Self Help Group (SHG) to make coconut based, value added products such as tender coconut lassi.

Many women who have mastered climbing felt that the task was daunting initially but soon turned out to be unbelievably effortless.

Source: The Hindu dt. 26.02.12 P.No: 18 Article / News by M.J.Prabhu.

V.SENTHILNATHAN