About Coconut
India is among the top coconut producers. Every part of the palm is used: tender coconut, copra, oil, desiccated coconut, coir and shell charcoal.
Where Coconut Is Grown in Kerala
The main coconut districts of Kerala are All districts; Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thrissur, Thiruvananthapuram. Kerala is India's leading producer of natural rubber and coconut, and the traditional home of the spice trade. It grows banana (including Nendran), cashew, arecanut, ginger, rice in Kuttanad and Palakkad, and has a long history of cashew processing in Kollam.
Season in Kerala
Harvested every 45–60 days year-round. Exact arrival dates in Kerala depend on local sowing and the monsoon, so check current arrivals before planning purchases.
How Coconut Is Sold in Kerala
Kerala has no APMC Act. Produce is sold through private traders, cooperative societies and specialised boards for rubber, coconut and spices. Supplyco buys paddy from farmers.
Other major markets in Kerala
Government Buying in Kerala
MSP for milling and ball copra. In Kerala, buying is organised through the agencies below, usually at procurement centres in or near the mandis during the harvest window. Farmers register in advance, and payment is made to their bank accounts.
- Supplyco (Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation)Paddy procurementAboutExplore
- Rubber BoardKottayamAboutExplore
- Coconut Development BoardKochiAboutExplore
- KERAFEDCoconut oil cooperativeAboutExplore
- Spices Board IndiaKochiAboutExplore
Quality and Price Notes
Milling copra is graded by moisture (ideally around 6 per cent), oil content and freedom from mould; well-dried copra from Kangeyam fetches a premium. Ball copra from Tiptur is graded by size and the white colour of its kernel. Tender coconuts are sold by size and water content to city vendors and packaged coconut-water brands.
Copra and coconut-oil prices follow the size of the Kerala and Tamil Nadu crop, the price of competing oils such as palm oil, and festival demand. Root wilt disease in Kerala and drought in Tamil Nadu reduce output; government buying of copra at MSP through NAFED supports prices in glut years.
Virgin coconut oil, coconut milk powder, neera (fresh sap), coconut sugar and activated carbon from shells have grown into important value-added products, many exported.
Buyers, Processors and Exporters
These companies and bodies buy, process or export coconut across India, including from Kerala. Tap a name for details.
- Marico LtdParachute; copra buyerAboutExplore
- KLF Nirmal Industries Pvt LtdCoconut oilAboutExplore
- KERAFEDKerala coconut cooperativeAboutExplore
- Coconut Development BoardKochiAboutExplore
Research and Advice in Kerala
New varieties, crop advice and seed for coconut growers in Kerala come from the state agricultural universities below and from the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in each district.
Coconut in Other States
Tamil Nadu · Karnataka · Andhra Pradesh · Odisha · Goa · West Bengal
Related: Coconut – all India · Kerala · All crops
Names are listed for reference only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation. The About and Explore buttons open Google in a new tab; results there are generated by Google and third parties, not by this site. Prices, MSP, export rules and schemes change often. Nothing here is financial, legal or purchasing advice. Full disclaimer