Coconut Industry and Exports

India is the largest coconut-producing country in the world and accounted for about 31.45% of the world’s total production during 2021-22, with a production of 19,310 million nuts. During 2022-23, India produced 20,535 million nuts. The crop contributes around Rs. 30,795.6 crore (US$ 3.72 billion) to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) during 2022-23. The coconut palm provides food security and livelihood opportunities to more than 12 million people in India. It is also a fibre-yielding crop for more than 15,000 coir-based industries, employing nearly 6 lakh people. The productivity of coconuts at a national level for 2022-23 was at 9,018 nuts per hectare, one of the highest in the world. Copra processing, coconut oil extraction and coir manufacturing are the traditional coconut-based activities in the country. India’s coconut production is majorly situated in Kerala, Karnataka, Tami Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, accounting for 89.13% of the coconut area and 90.77% of the coconut production in the country during 2021-22. Other coconut-producing states in the country are West Bengal, Orissa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Assam and Bihar.

During the year 2021-22, the Government of India (GoI) provided financial assistance to the tune of Rs. 801 million (US$ 10 million, released as of 31st Dec 2021) for covering a fresh area of 4,078 hectares under the expansion of the area under the coconut initiative and 91-hectare demonstration plots for productivity improvement. This includes establishing six new coconut nurseries, a coconut nucleus seed garden and six new coconut processing units for value-added products like Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO), activated carbon and ball copra, spray dried coconut milk powder.