Mr SAIBAL K DE
CEO
Deejay coconut Farm Private Limited
India
W : www.deejayfarm.com
Industry / Sector
Agriculture & Allied Services
Personal Profile
Saibal K De is currently heading the business of Deejay group which is a 50 year old entity in the agriculture & livestock space, with more than 35 years of expertise and experience in breeding of coconut seedlings in India, farms located in southern & western India. Deejay group exports seedlings to many countries including about 7 countries in Africa and is keen to support the advancement of coconut cultivation in Africa to help small farmers as well as large cultivation.
The present focus is on one use of technology, R& D, product improvements as well as the introduction of new products including that in the “health and wellness segment”
Earlier to this, he has Multi Skilled experience across infrastructure sectors, with > 20 years in sr. Management in development, programme & company management, project finance, and operations, in India and abroad including experience of a startup project, offshore commissioned, and successfully operating. He has experience in working with private investors, multilateral agencies & development & financial institutions, a number of successful startup experiences, and penetration in new markets.
Company Profile
History & Evolution
The Deejay Coconut Breeding Project was set up in the year 1983 under the expert guidance of Prof. Anthony Davis, a UN/Indian expert. This project is started with the intention of meeting Indian farmer’s requirements for the best quality hybrid coconut seedlings. With this objective, Deejay has set up close to 200 ha of Coconut Breeding gardens in India that is able to supply 0.5 Mn+ seedlings every year to the market. Deejay hybrid coconut seedlings have established a name for quality and the seedlings supplied are considered the best coconut planting material for maximum productivity. Farmers are constantly getting over US $ 16,000 per ha/year and marginal farmer lives are changing for the better.
About Deejay Group – The Organization
The Deejay Group of Companies is an organization of a highly motivated, disciplined and trained team of professionals, technicians and managers Our main focus is agriculture, especially coconut breeding. Deejay group is the leading coconut breeding organization in India.
Deejay Group set benchmark in the coconut breeding through the excellence of its dedicated employees and their innovative approach along with dedicated service to its customer farmers. Deejay Group, a pioneer in scientific Coconut Breeding activity in India with proven track record of producing high quality hybrid coconut seedlings - the Deejay Sampoorna® Coconut Hybrid Seedlings, for over three decades.
In Addition Deejay group exports hybrid coconut seedlings/ Seed nuts to over 15 countries, the performance of this plants exported are quite good resulting into repeat orders.
Deejay Activities Abroad
The Deejay Group has signed up Joint Venture agreements with like-minded parties for setting up similar Coconut Breeding projects in Pacific and African countries. The Deejay Group is backed up by dedicated research team employing systematic methods of scientific genetic selection with computer aided programs.
Deejay Product and Service
• A unique, early bearing, high yielding specially developed genetic material, named the
Deejay Dwarf [Patent pending] is used as the mother.
• Specially selected Talls are used in the hybridizing process, and a special breeding program for upgrading the selected Talls is a regular process.
• The Deejay Hybrid Palm flowers in 1/3 the time and yields three times the number of nuts
p.a. compared to traditional tall variety, improving the economics of the farmers substantially.
• Deejay Farm destroys all illegitimate seedlings produced, giving the farmer genuine hybrids.
• The MS Swaminathan Foundation has done an assessment of the Deejay Breeding project, the procedures used, and the quality of the hybrid and evaluated hybrid performances in the field and rated all highly.
• Deejay’s Cultivation guide is provided to the farmers so that they could follow the pre and post planting management techniques and the recommended fertilizer schedule.
• Focused research to produce a Hybrid palm with yields of 10 tonnes of oil per ha is on track.
• Focused research to produce a hybrid with a further 30% increase in nut yield is on track [400 nuts per palm p.a.]