All India Co-ordinated Coconut and Arecanut Improvement Project (AICCAIP) started functioning from 1972 at CPCRI, Kasaragod and later renamed as All India Coordinated Research Project on Palms (AICRP) in 1986. The AICRP has 14 centres on coconut, four on oil palm and one on palmyra.
Research
Initially mandated to conduct research on coconut, areca nut, cocoa, cashew, oil palm, and spices, the institute later separated research on cashew, oil palm, and spices to establish independent institutes. In 2023, the CPCRI expanded its mandate to include palmyra palm.
The institute's research programs are structured into five divisions:
Crop Improvement
Crop Production
Crop Protection
Physiology
Biochemistry
Post Harvest Technology
Social Sciences.
Additionally, it oversees the International Coconut Gene Bank for South Asia situated at Kidu in Karnataka. Serving as the headquarters of the All India Co-ordinated Research Project (AICRP) on palms, it manages 28 centers spread across 14 states and one union territory, encompassing 13 SAUs/SHUs, one CAU, and four ICAR institutes.
There are two regional stations at Kayamkulam (Kerala) and Vittal (Karnataka). There are four research centres at Mohitnagar (West Bengal), Kahikuchi (Assam), and Kidu (Karnataka). Besides, there are two Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs) in Kasaragod and Kayamkulum.