Be it worship, health or beauty, coconut is as common as salt in the homes of common Indians. People who like fitness drink coconut water, people who worship offer coconut, people who like beauty apply coconut on their body. Coconut is one, has many uses. In Vedic religion, coconut is considered a symbol of auspiciousness and prosperity, coconut is also very auspicious for India from the economic point of view.
Till the year 2000, the foreign export of coconut was the same, due to which stars like Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan, Salman and Shahrukh Khan charge more fees. Between 2002 and 2003, India had earned only about Rs 25 crore by selling coconuts.
Now India earns so much every year by selling coconuts that many stars together could not earn that much in their entire life, nor could their net worth even reach that level. The picture is clear that India's coconut sector is no longer limited to traditional farming only. This sector is strengthening rural livelihoods, agricultural development and cultural traditions.
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How many people is coconut providing employment to?
The report of Coconut Development Board and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare states that about 3 crore people are dependent on coconut cultivation and related industries. These include about 1 crore farmers. India ranks first in coconut production in the world. Kerala is at the forefront in area, Tamil Nadu is at the forefront in production and Andhra Pradesh is at the forefront in productivity.
What is coconut used for?
Oil is made from coconut, people eat it as a fruit, it is also used as beverage, medicine is also made, ropes are made from its fiber, it is used in clothes, it is also used for wood and fuel. Coconut is an excellent source of raw material.
How old is coconut cultivation in India?
Coconut is mentioned in mythological stories. Coconut is also called Shriphal in Sanskrit. Its cultivation is about 3 thousand years old. Now mostly small and marginal farmers grow it. Even in new states like Chhattisgarh, farmers have now started considering coconut farming as a livelihood option.
Where does India stand in coconut production?
Globally, India ranks first in coconut production and third in area. India's share in world production is 31.24 percent and 17.90 percent in area. In 2024-25, India produced 20,301.22 crore coconuts from an area of 2.19 lakh hectares. The average productivity was 9,249 nuts per hectare. World Population Review data shows that India ranks among the top 3 countries where coconut production is highest.
- Indonesia: 1,71,90,328 tonnes
- Philippines: 1,49,31,158 tonnes
- India: 1,33,17,000 tonnes
- Brazil: 27,44,418 tonnes
- Sri Lanka: 22,04,150 tonnes
- Vietnam: 19,30,182 tonnes
Which states are doing better in coconut production?
Kerala has the highest area of 7.54 lakh hectares and production is 5,149.87 crore nuts. Tamil Nadu tops in production, while Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are ahead in productivity. Export of coconut products is increasing rapidly.
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How exports increased from Rs 25 crore to Rs 7,038.35 crore
Coconut exports in 2025-26 stood at Rs 7,038.35 crore ($794.70 million), which is 62 percent more than last year's Rs 4,349.03 crore. In 2001-02 it was only Rs 25.3 crore. This is about 278 times more. Coconut business in India has increased 278 times in 25 years.
Why did coconut become a profitable deal?
Earlier coconut shell, charcoal, oil, whole coconut and desiccated coconut were exported. Now virgin coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut water and value-added products are also being exported. The market has expanded beyond the Middle East to Europe, America and Australia. In the last five years, America, United Arab Emirates (UAE, Sri Lanka, Germany, Russia, Turkey, Belgium, Britain and Netherlands) have been the major buyers of Indian coconut. India's activated carbon export is the highest in the world. This means that special treated carbon made from coconut shells, coal and wood is also being bought by other countries. It is used in water purification, air purification and medical industry.
What is the work of Coconut Development Board?
The Coconut Development Board (CBD) is the backbone of this sector. It was formed on 12 January 1981 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The Coconut Board is headquartered in Kochi and operates in 22 states-union territories. The work of the Board is to prepare good planting material, expand the scope of coconut cultivation, improve productivity, pest-disease management and promote production. Rs 147.21 crore was released to the Board in the year 2025-26. Its objective was to promote research and quality in coconut production.
Why is the trend of coconut cultivation increasing in India?
The government also gives minimum support price (MSP) on coconut pulp. For the 2026 season, the MSP of coconut pulp has been fixed at Rs 12,027 per quintal and the MSP of dried whole coconut has been fixed at Rs 12,500 per quintal. Central agencies like National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India Limited (NCCF) are the central nodal agencies for procurement of coconut. State level agencies also assist in procurement operations.
Coconut cultivation can be even better
India, which had exports worth only Rs 25 crore till the 2000s, did many things at the local level to improve coconut cultivation. Now emphasis is being laid on building demonstration cum seed production farms for good planting material. New farms get an annual assistance of Rs 30 lakh for the first two years and Rs 1 lakh per hectare thereafter. In 2025-26, 2.41 lakh good coconut seedlings were produced from 11 farms.
Rs 24 lakh were allocated for the Nucleus Seed Garden, out of which Rs 20.29 lakh was spent. 12 new nurseries were established, which have an annual capacity of 1.06 lakh seedlings. Rs 239.35 lakh was given to public sector nurseries, from which 11.97 lakh saplings were produced. These saplings are enough for new plantation of 6,850 to 7,500 hectares.
How to get coconut discount?
If you also want to do coconut cultivation, then a subsidy of Rs 56,000 per hectare is given in two installments to increase new cultivation. Up to maximum 2 hectares and minimum 0.08 hectares. In 2024-25, 2,979 hectares of new area was added and 13,068 farmers benefited. In 2025-26, 2,175 hectares of new area was added in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Gujarat, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Rs 632.77 lakh was given for this.
How many farmers got the benefit of exemption?
Coconut-based cropping system is being implemented to increase productivity. A subsidy of Rs 42,000 per hectare is available in two installments. In 2025-26, 18,800 hectares covered, 48,696 farmers benefited and Rs 3,943 lakh spent. An additional 5,935 hectares were covered in collaboration with state governments. In Kerala alone, 8,089 hectares and 33,250 farmers were benefited. The target has been set to reach 22,430 hectares in the current year. Assistance is available up to Rs 54,000 per hectare in two years. In 2025-26, 1,672 hectare area was brought under the scope of rejuvenation.
On which Mission 2030 is India emphasizing?
The Government of India has set a target of making India a global leader in coconut exports by 2030. Under the Fan of Coconut Tree (FOCT) programme, 378 palm climbers have been trained in 2024-25. Groups of trained climbers are being formed under the name Kokomitra. KERA Skill Center A 15-member group is being formed to make handicrafts from coconut shell, wood and fiber. Each center will get an assistance of Rs 2.67 lakh from 2026-27. The government is also providing training for Neera tapping and processing.
Why is coconut production booming in the world?
8,299 coconut exports have been registered by 2025-26 and 8,700 by 31 July 2026. In the last 5 years, exports increased from Rs 3,236.83 crore to Rs 7,038.35 crore. The Board tried to reach hundreds of entrepreneurs in domestic and international trade fairs. 240 people were given training under skill development. 15 coconut counters were set up. Coconut Promotion Scheme was announced in the Union Budget 2026-27. Emphasis is being laid on pests, diseases and on planting new saplings in place of old plantations. The government is emphasizing on good plant production, expansion into new areas, rejuvenation of old gardens, crop health management and creation of unified processing units.