India tops global coconut chart

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New Delhi Sep 2 : Better rain, adoption of modern cultivation methods and pest control technologies in the last three years have resulted in India emerging as the biggest producer of coconut in the world followed by Indonesia and Philippines. According to the Coconut Development Board (CDB), during 2006-o7, while India produced 1,584 crore coconuts, Indonesia and Philippines produced 1,498 crore and 1,260 crore coconuts in the same period. During 2003-o4 and 2006-07, the number of coconuts has grown steadily by around 6.79% annually, while productivity has grown at a similar pace.

In terms of productivity, India produced 8,165 coconuts per hectare annually, while Indonesia and Philippines could produce only 3,925 and 3,885 coconuts per hectare. Productivity in coconut-growing regions in the country has been showing an upward trend from 7,608 coconuts per hectare during 2005-06 to 8,165 nuts in 2006-07.

“Due to the tsunami and other extreme weather conditions and factors such as rapid urbanisation, the crop in Indonesia and Philippines have been adversely impacted,” a senior official with Kochi-based CDB told FE. He said that the scientific use of pest management and better agricultural practices promoted by CDB have contributed to the record production of coconuts in the country.