Coconut production in Kerala, a state situated on the southwestern coast of India, plays an important role in the economy and culture of the region. Kerala is actually named after the coconut tree with “Kera” meaning Coconut tree and “Alam” meaning land so means “Land of Coconut Trees”. Various terms like copra and coir are derived from the native Malayalam language.
By the late 1970s it accounted for some 68% of total production in India and at one stage some 899,198 hectares were reportedly under cultivation.Today Kerala produces roughly 45% of India’s coconuts, with some 92% of total production lying in the southern Indian states and Kerala’s neighbours. The Coconut Development Board which plays an important role in the development of coconut production in India has its headquarters in Kochi, Kerala. One problem which poses a major threat to production in Kerala is Root wilt disease.
