For three years, till 2023, P.V. Vijayan, now 68, had a unique description, that of a ‘coconut tree doctor.’

Till then, he was the caretaker of a nursery spread over nearly 1.50 acres – home to various agricultural crops from coconut, plantains, tapioca, to vegetables – of the Varappetty Service Cooperative Bank in the Kothamangalam taluk along the eastern suburbs of the Ernakulam district. A role he discharges till date.

It was when it distributed nearly 25,000 coconut palms that the bank realised the need for a ‘doctor’ to take care of them, at least for the first three years, without fail. That brought Vijayan the role of the ‘coconut tree doctor.’

“We realised that mere distribution of palms was of little use unless their proper care was ensured. Thus, was born the concept of a ‘doctor’ for the palms,” said M.G. Ramakrishnan, former president of the cooperative bank, during whose tenure the coconut palms were distributed. His term ended in December 2022.

The ‘doctor’s’ mandate was to examine the palms every three months and take necessary measures, including the application of pesticides and fertlizers, as warranted. “There was a time when I used to examine over 1,000 coconut palms in a month in Varappetty and Aayavana panchayats,” said Mr. Vijayan. The beneficiary had to pay for the pesticides.

The new role also brought Mr. Vijayan an additional income of ₹5 each per coconut tree from the bank and the beneficiary during the first year, ₹7.50 each in the second year and ₹10 each in the third year. “The job assured him a minimum monthly wages of ₹13,000 to ₹15,000, which increased in proportion to the number of coconut trees he examined,” said Mr. Ramakrishnan.

As, the coconut palms grew into tall tress, Mr. Vijayan’s role diminished proportionately, as climbing the trees was not his mandate. Then the demand for coconut palms also waned gradually as the coconut farming returned diminishing returns.

“Now with the price of coconut, coconut oil, and related products soaring, there is a renewed demand for coconut palms,” said T.R. Sunil, secretary of the Varappetty Service Cooperative Bank, which exports coconut to the U.K. and the U.S. among other destinations.

Now, that has revived Mr. Vijayan’s hopes of donning the ‘doctor’s’ role yet again.