ABSTRACT
A significant proportion of coconuts are processed traditionally and consumed at the domestic level in the coconut-producing regions. Domestic consumption has always had priority over the surplus sold in the market. It is therefore difficult to assess definite figures of acreage, production, consumption, and trade of coconut. Statistics are often based on estimates, and usually all end uses are converted into one unit, either copra or oil. Table 1 summarizes the trends in coconut and copra production in different parts of the world during 1975-1990. The world production of both coconut and copra increased significantly during 1975-1980, and remained more or less stagnant subsequently. The increase in the world coconut production during 1975-1980 was due mainly to an increase in production in Southeast Asia and Oceania. About 84% of the world coconut production is concentrated in Asia. The major coconut-growing nations include Indonesia, the Philippines, India, sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Thailand in the Asiatic region. Indonesia and Philippines contribute about 60% of the world's coconut produce. The remaining 16% is distributed fairly· equally among the other coconut-producing regions of Oceania, Africa, and Latin America. The main coconut-producing countries in these regions are Mexico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Brazil, and Venezuela in Latin America, Papua and New
486ChavanandJadhav
Table1WorldProductionofCoconutandCopra(millionmetrictonnes), 1975-1990
CoconutCopra
Region19751980198519901975198019851990
World30.9035.4434.6642.114.354.554.515.067 Africa1.551.601.571.940.160.170.200.240 NorthCentralAmerica1.451.391.201.680.190.170.170.235 SouthAmerica0.510.570.691.090.030.030.030.036 Asia25.1929.4828.7535.123.683.833.754.254
India4.334.504.556.300.310.380.380.410 Indonesia6.9410.9010.7512.500.890.991.161.250 Philippines9.909.587.7910.182.022.001.702.070 SriLanka1.971.552.102.120.200.130.180.170
Oceania2.192.492.452.260.300.350.360.301
Source:Ref.2.
