'260.9 million units annually'; Gujarat's stunning foray into tender coconut production

GANDHINAGAR: It was a long-held belief that coconuts wouldn't grow in the north. Southern states in India were deemed the connoisseurs of coconut cultivation. However, lately, an unlikely player is changing the status quo. As per reports, in the last ten years, the coconut cultivation area has expanded by 5,746 hectares in Gujarat. In the 2014-15 season, Gujarat had just 22,451 hectares of land for coconut cultivation. This has now expanded to 28,197 hectares. Now, Gujarat produces 260.9 million units of tender coconuts annually.

Boasting one of the largest coastal lanes in India, Gujarat provides a conducive terrain for the coconut business. As per reports, 4.561 million hectares of land in coastal districts in the state are available for cultivation. In the coming years, the state will work on ways to expand the area of cultivation to 70,000 and 80,000 hectares. As of now, coconut cultivation is largely concentrated in Somnath, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Valsad, Kutch, Navsari, and Devbhumi Dwarka districts.

The government is also providing assistance to turn the northern state into the new turf for coconut cultivation. In 2025, Rs 550 lakh was allotted by the government for this initiative. There is are slew of other assistance, including subsidies for farmers, which includes covering 75% of plantation costs.

Almost 40 per cent of production is sent to states such as Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. On the other side, production of coconut oil, virgin coconut oil, coconut milk, packaged coconut water (tetra packs/bottles), coconut cookies, coconut barfi, vinegar, flakes, chips, and oil cake are thriving in the state.