Traditional farming and post harvest processing of coconut by <i>Nicobari</i> tribe

Abstract

The <i>Nicobari</i> tribes are the largest tribal group inhabiting Nicobar Islands who are well educated and advanced than many of their counterparts in these Islands and in mainland India. The main economic activity of the <i>Nicobari</i> tribe is agriculture and coconut plantation occupies majority of the agricultural area in these Islands. The present study encompasses a glimpse of a folk knowledge gleaned through survey on farming and post harvest processing of coconut a main source of livelihood activity of the tribals. The knowledge gained and passed on to the generations is vital for their livelihood and some of them are found relevant even today. The tribals practice a form of natural farming with minimum disturbance to the soil and do replace the old and senile plants with new seedlings. In new plantation intercropping is allowed until the seedlings are established. They also have knowledge on different methods for drying copra based on the need and extraction of oil from coconut milk mainly used for sanitary purpose which is now called as virgin coconut oil.