'This is something that will be a great boost for many who are at the mercy of these tree climbers who charge Rs.25 for one tree, especially in the cities. We all wish someone develops a product so we don't have to be at the mercy of these tree climbers,' said Joseph Thomas when heard about the government's move to invite applications for a product to be developed.

Kerala's annual production of coconuts has been seeing a free fall in both the area under cultivation and the production.

The area under coconut cultivation in 2005 was 8.99 lakh hectares and it fell to 8.02 lakh hectares in 2008. Similarly, the total production of coconuts fell from 6,001 million to 5,564 million during the same period.

In contrast, the area under coconut cultivation in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka put together has increased from 29 percent in 1993 to 40 percent in 2007.