September 2 is observed as World Coconut Day. The main objective of celebrating this day is to create global awareness about coconut usage and its myriad benefits. It is to highlight the policies and express the plan of action. The day is especially marked in countries under Asian and Pacific regions by the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) as they house most of the world’s coconut growing production centres.

Theme for World Coconut Day 2020

The theme of World Coconut Day 2020 this year is – “Invest in Coconut to save the world”. The theme as every other year was decided by the International Coconut Community.

Usage of Coconut

Coconut tree provides us a varied range of products. Tender white flesh of the coconut, its water, oil and milk are also widely used for cooking and non-cooking purposes. Other products include - Coconut sap, coir, & copra used to make coconut butter, coconut cream, and doormats. Leaves of the trees are used to make roofs of thatched huts. Husk of the coconut, the wood of the tree is used as timber.

Researchers have also found that coconut flour is a rich source of dietary fibre, protein and low in digestible carbohydrates and is good for preventing cancer, heart ailments and diabetes. Another feature is that it is gluten free.

India & Coconut

    • Coastal region of India is rich with Coconut palm and states like Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh are the top coconut-producing states. 

    • Often called as Kalpavriksha, the divine tree that fulfills wishes, the sentiment is common to Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. 

    • In the country, the total area under coconut cultivation is 20.96 lakh hectares of which Kerala alone accounts for 7.60 lakh hectares. 

    • Kerala stands first in the production of coconuts (5,230 million nuts in the state as against 23,798 million in the rest of the country) but in terms of productivity it is at the fifth position.

    • Coconut products including coir bring in foreign exchange to the tune of around Rs 3,000 crore.

    • Kerala state government had planned to plant at least 2 crore seedlings by 2029 and of this 30 lakh to be produced by the next calendar year.

    • Centre has provided Rs 20 crore to the Kerala Agriculture University to step up research on coconuts.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants. The views expressed here are personal.)