Why is there a Demand for Indian Coconuts?
Though there are several members of the palm family, the Coconut tree is celebrated as ‘Kalpavriksha’ or ‘tree of life’. Several direct products and by-products from its husk, shell, flesh, etc have helped sustain life on earth. Botanically, the Coconut tree is called “Cocos nucifera”, a 16th century Portuguese and Spanish word “coco” meaning “skull” or ‘head” from the three holes on the shell of the coconut that bear semblance to the facial features of a monkey. The coconut palm is also abundantly found in the tropics namely Indonesia and Philippines, with Brazil and India next in the list, which when combined, makes up almost 80 percent of the world’s coconut production. Coconut is cultivated in more than 80 countries all over the world, but whether man has fully exploited…