Vadakara: Kerala, often called the 'Land of Coconuts' due to its vast coconut plantations, is no longer the top producer of coconuts in India.

According to the Coconut Development Board's second-quarter estimate for 2023-24, Kerala now ranks third in coconut production, behind Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Karnataka has taken the lead with a production of 726 crore coconuts, while Tamil Nadu produced 578 crore. Kerala, once the leader, has fallen behind with just 564 crore coconuts.

This decline in Kerala's coconut production began during the period of 2011-15, when the state saw a drop in output. In contrast, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka made steady progress during the time. Although Kerala made a strong comeback in 2015-16 and achieved a record production of 845 crore coconuts in 2017-18, there was a sharp fall in the production soon after. By 2022-23, Karnataka had overtaken Kerala.

In 2000-01, Kerala had 9.25 lakh hectares dedicated to coconut cultivation. By 2017-18, this had decreased to 8.07 lakh hectares, and in 2023-24, the area has further reduced to 7.59 lakh hectares. There is a drop of 48,000 hectares in just six years. 

Meanwhile, Karnataka has increased coconut cultivation from 3.33 lakh hectares in 2000-01 to 7.33 lakh hectares in 2023-24. Tamil Nadu has also expanded its coconut cultivation, growing from 3.23 lakh hectares to 4.96 lakh hectares during the same period.

The decline in Kerala’s coconut production is partly due to a sharp drop in coconut prices, which started in 2020-21. During this time, production was at 694 crore coconuts, but lower prices led to reduced output, with production dropping to just 130 crore coconuts over the following three years.