Central Plantation Crops Research Institute


The ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute is a premier research institute established for coconut, arecanut and cocoa . It is one of the agricultural research institutes in the National Agricultural Research System under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research since 1970. The institute is located at Kasaragod in Kerala on the National Highway 66.

History

The Central Plantation Crops Research Institute was established in 1916 as Central Coconut Research Station, and was later taken over by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. The ICAR established CPCRI in 1970 by merging Central Coconut Research Stations at Kasaragod and Kayamkulam as well as Central Arecanut Research Station, Vittal and its five substations at Palode, Kannara, Hirehalli, Mohitnagar and Kahikuchi. The research centers of CPCRI for spices, cashew, oil palm and coastal agriculture had been upgraded to independent institutes and directorates.
At present, CPCRI focuses on research in coconut, arecanut and cocoa. The headquarters of the institute is situated at Kasaragod, Kerala and the two regional stations are at Kayamkulum and Vittal. There are four research centres for the institute viz., Mohitnagar, Kahikuchi and Kidu.
Besides, there are two KVKs under the institute. All India Co-ordinated Coconut and Arecanut Improvement Project started functioning from 1972 at CPCRI, Kasaragod and later renamed as All India Coordinated Research Project on Palms in 1986. The AICRP has 14 centres on coconut, 4 on oilpalm and one on palmyrah.