Coconut

The Coco, of thePalmacees family, -Cocos Nucifera-, is indigenous to south-east Asia. The tree guidely spread througout the world due to its many uses and is now the most popular commercially grown tree in the world.

The tree is grown principally for its fruit which has several parts with different uses :

• The fibrous exterior bark processed for weaving
• The flesh consumed fresh, dried (the coprah) or exploited for oil
• The water inside the fruit, as a beverage
• The shell as well with several different uses

The coco plant has many varieties that provide superior products, depending on the needs of the consumer. Many hybrid varieties have been developped to further enhance these most desired characteristics.

The coco is not difficult to cultivate comercially. They initial planting and early management determine they term productive performance. The plant begins to produce after 4-6 years and will continue for as many as 40-60 years.
Better plantations can yield as much as 4 metric tons of coprah per hectare, but the more common yield is nearer to 1 metric ton per hectare.

In the northeast region of Madagascar, between Vohemar and Antalaha, in the region of SAVA, the coco plantations cover over 12 thousand hectares of land area. The plantations are harvested throughout the year and support around 13 large manufacturers.