Enthused by the response to the five-day arecanut tree climbing training programme in December, the Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) is now planning to conduct another training programme in February.
SR Satishchandra, Campco president, said 30 candidates had undergone training in December. Of them, 19 have taken arecanut tree climbing as their profession and are earning their livelihood. The second training programme is scheduled to be held between February 5-9 at the Vittal campus of the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) in Dakshina Kannada district.
The cooperative had received more than 100 applications for the December training programme. However, it could admit only 30 candidates for that training programme. Those who had submitted their application for the first training programme and not qualified will be considered for the second one and need not apply again.
He said the entire training programme will focus on the traditional way of climbing arecanut trees to spray fungicides and to harvest the crop from the tree.
The trainees undergoing this skill development training programme will have insurance, and they will also be provided a stipend during the training period. All equipment necessary for the skill development and safety will be part of the training programme, he said.
Experienced arecanut tree climbers will impart the five-day training programme at Vittal. The candidates will be given a certificate on successful completion of the training programme, he said.
Interested youths in the age group of 18-30 years from Dakshina Kannada and Kerala’s Kasaragod districts can apply for the training programme, he said.
This is an effort by Campco to develop a skilled workforce in arecanut plantations in the region, Satishchandra said, urging primary agricultural credit societies in the arecanut-growing regions to conduct such programmes at the village level.