Coconut

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Coconut palm
Cocos nucifera

Coconut palm (Cocos

nucifera)

Scientific
classification
Kingdom
Plantae
:
Class:

Monocots[1]

Order:

Arecales

Suborder:

Commelini
ds

Family:

Arecaceae

Subfamil
Arecoideae
y:
Tribe:

Cocoeae

Genus:

Cocos

Species:

C. nucifera

Binomial name
Cocos nucifera
L.

The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), is a member of the family Arecaceae (palm family). It is
the only accepted species in the genus Cocos.[2] The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut
palm, the seed, or the fruit, which, botanically, is a drupe, not a nut. The spelling cocoanut is an
archaic form of the word.[3] The term is derived from 16th-century Portuguese and Spanish coco,
meaning "head" or "skull",[4] from the three indentations on the coconut shell that resemble facial
features.
Found throughout the tropic and subtropic area, the coconut is known for its great versatility as
seen in the many uses of its different parts. Coconuts are part of the daily diets of many people.
Coconuts are different from any other fruits because they contain a large quantity of "water" and
when immature they are known as tender-nuts or jelly-nuts and may be harvested for drinking.
When mature, they still contain some water and can be used as seednuts or processed to give oil
from the kernel, charcoal from the hard shell and coir from the fibrous husk. The endosperm is
initially in its nuclear phase suspended within the coconut water. As development continues,
cellular layers of endosperm deposit along the walls of the coconut, becoming the edible coconut
"flesh".[5] When dried, the coconut flesh is called copra. The oil and milk derived from it are
commonly used in cooking and frying; coconut oil is also widely used in soaps and cosmetics.
The clear liquid coconut water within is a refreshing drink. The husks and leaves can be used as
material to make a variety of products for furnishing and decorating. It also has cultural and
religious significance in many societies that use it.

Contents
[hide]

1 Description
o 1.1 Plant
o 1.2 Fruit
o 1.3 Roots
o 1.4 Inflorescence

2 Etymology

3 Origin, domestication, and dispersal

o 3.1 Origin
o 3.2 Domestication
o 3.3 Dispersal
o 3.4 Distribution

4 Natural habitat
o 4.1 Diseases
o 4.2 Pests

5 Cultivation
o 5.1 Harvesting
o 5.2 India
o 5.3 Maldives
o 5.4 Middle East
o 5.5 Sri Lanka

o 5.6 United States

o 5.7 Australia
o 5.8 Bermuda
o 5.9 Cooler climates

6 Overview of uses

7 Culinary use
o 7.1 Coconut water
o 7.2 Coconut milk
o 7.3 Coconut oil
o 7.4 Toddy and nectar
o 7.5 Heart of palm and coconut sprout
o 7.6 Indonesia
o 7.7 Philippines
o 7.8 Vietnam
o 7.9 India

8 Commercial, industrial, and household use

o 8.1 Cultivars
o 8.2 Coir
o 8.3 Coconut fronds
o 8.4 Copra
o 8.5 Husks and shells
o 8.6 Coconut trunk

o 8.7 Coconut roots

o 8.8 Use in beauty products

9 Role in culture and religion

o 9.1 Myths and legends

10 Medicinal uses

11 Other uses
o 11.1 Tool and shelter for animals

12 Allergies
o 12.1 Food allergies
o 12.2 Topical allergies

13 See also

14 References

15 Further reading

16 External links

Description[edit]
Plant[edit]
Cocos nucifera is a large palm, growing up to 30 m (98 ft) tall, with pinnate leaves 46 m (13
20 ft) long, and pinnae 6090 cm long; old leaves break away cleanly, leaving the trunk smooth.
Coconuts are generally classified into two general types: tall and dwarf.[6] On very fertile land, a
tall coconut palm tree can yield up to 75 fruits per year, but more often yields less than 30,
mainly due to poor cultural practices.[7] In recent years, improvements in cultivation practices
and breeding have produced coconut trees that can yield more.[8][9]

Fruit[edit]
Botanically, the coconut fruit is a drupe, not a true nut.[10] Like other fruits, it has three layers: the
exocarp, mesocarp, and endocarp. The exocarp and mesocarp make up the "husk" of the coconut.
Coconuts sold in the shops of nontropical countries often have had the exocarp (outermost layer)

removed. The mesocarp is composed of a fiber, called coir, which has many traditional and
commercial uses. The shell has three germination pores (stoma) or "eyes" that are clearly visible
on its outside surface once the husk is removed.
A full-sized coconut weighs about 1.44 kg (3.2 lb). It takes around 6,000 full-grown coconuts to
produce a tonne of copra.[11]

Roots[edit]
This section requires expansion. (May 2012)
Unlike some other plants, the palm tree has neither a tap root nor root hairs, but has a fibrous
root system.[12]

Inflorescence[edit]
The palm produces both the female and male flowers on the same inflorescence; thus, the palm is
monoecious.[12] Other sources use the term polygamomonoecious.[13] The female flower is much
larger than the male flower. Flowering occurs continuously. Coconut palms are believed to be
largely cross-pollinated, although some[which?] dwarf varieties are self-pollinating.

Etymology[edit]

A dehusked coconut shell from Cte d'Ivoire showing the face-like markings at the base

A cut coconut shell

One of the earliest mentions of the coconut dates back to the One Thousand and One Nights
story of Sinbad the Sailor; he is known to have bought and sold coconuts during his fifth voyage.
[14]
Tenga, its Malayalam name, was used in the detailed description of coconut found in
Itinerario by Ludovico di Varthema published in 1510 and also in the later Hortus Indicus
Malabaricus.[15] Even earlier, it was called nux indica, a name used by Marco Polo in 1280 while
in Sumatra, taken from the Arabs who called it jawz hind. Both names translate to
"Indian nut".[16] In the earliest description of the coconut palm known, given by Cosmos of
Alexandria in his Topographia Christiana written about 545 AD, there is a reference to the argell
tree and its drupe.[15][17]
Historical evidence favors the European origin of the name "coconut", for no name is similar in
any of the languages of India, where the Portuguese first found the fruit; and indeed Barbosa,
Barros, and Garcia, in mentioning the Malayalam name tenga, and Canarese narle, expressly say,
"we call these fruits quoquos", "our people have given it the name of coco", and "that which we
call coco, and the Malabars temga".
The OED states: "Portuguese and Spanish authors of the 16th c. agree in identifying the word
with Portuguese and Spanish coco "grinning face, grin, grimace", also "bugbear, scarecrow",
cognate with cocar "to grin, make a grimace"; the name being said to refer to the face-like
appearance of the base of the shell, with its three holes. According to Losada, the name came
from Portuguese explorers, the sailors of Vasco da Gama in India, who first brought them to
Europe. The coconut shell reminded them of a ghost or witch in Portuguese folklore called coco
(also cca).[18][19] The first known recorded usage of the term is 1555.[20][21]
The specific name nucifera is Latin for "nut-bearing".

Origin, domestication, and dispersal[edit]

Origin[edit]

The range of the natural habitat of the coconut palm tree delineated by the red line (based on
information in Werth 1933,[22] slightly modified by Niklas Jonsson)
The origin of the plant is the subject of debate.[23][24][25] O.F. Cook was one of the earliest modern
researchers to draw conclusions about the location of origin of Cocos nucifera based on its
current-day worldwide distribution.[26] He hypothesized that the coconut originated in the
Americas, based on the fact that American coconut populations predated European contact and

because he considered pan-tropical distribution by ocean currents improbable. Thor Heyerdahl

later used this hypothesis of the American origin of the coconut to support his theory that the
Pacific Islanders originated in South America.[27] However, more evidence exists for an IndoPacific origin either around Melanesia and Malesia or the Indian Ocean.[23][24][25] The oldest fossils
known of the modern coconut dating from the Eocene period from around 37 to 55 million years
ago were found in Australia and India. However, older palm fossils such as some of nipa fruit
have been found in the Americas.[25]

Domestication[edit]
Hugh C. Harries has done the most extensive work tracing the probable trajectory of cultivation
for Cocos nucifera.[28] He notes that the usual trend for cultivated plantshuman selection
increasing the number or size of the edible partsmakes little sense for coconuts, which are
already large-fruited. Instead, he suggests that human cultivation of the coconut selected, not for
larger size, but for thinner husks and increased volume of endosperm, the solid meat or liquid
water that provides the fruit its food value. Although these modifications for domestication
would reduce the fruits ability to float, this ability would be irrelevant to a cultivated population.
Among modern C. nucifera, notes two major types or variants: a thick-husked, angular fruit
which he calls niu kafa, after its Polynesian name, and a thin-husked, spherical fruit with a
higher proportion of endosperm, called niu vai. Harries suggest that these two variants reflect a
trend of cultivation in C. nucifera: the first coconuts were of the niu kafa type, with thick husks
to protect the seed, an angular, highly ridged shape to promote buoyancy during ocean dispersal,
and a pointed base that allowed fruits to dig into the sand, preventing them from being washed
away during germination on a new island. As early human communities began to harvest
coconuts for eating and planting, they (perhaps unintentionally) selected for a larger endosperm
to husk ratio and a broader, spherical base, which rendered the fruit useful as a cup or bowl, the
creating the niu vai type. The decreased buoyancy and increased fragility of this spherical, thinhusked fruit would not matter for a species that had started to be dispersed by humans and grown
in plantations. Harries adoption of the Polynesian terms niu kafa and niu vai has now passed
into general scientific discourse, and his hypothesis is generally accepted.[29][30]
Variants of C. nucifera are also categorized as Tall (var. typical) or Dwarf (var. nana).[31] The two
groups are genetically distinct, with the Dwarf variety showing a greater degree of artificial
selection for ornamental traits and for early germination and fruiting.[28][32] The Tall variety is
outcrossing while Dwarf palms are incrossing, which has led to a much greater degree of genetic
diversity within the Tall group. It is believed that the Dwarf subgroup mutated from the Tall
group under human selection pressure.[33]

Dispersal[edit]
Main article: Genomics of domestication
It is often cited that coconuts can travel 110 days, or 3000 miles, by sea and still be able to
germinate.[34] This figure has been questioned based on the extremely small sample size of the
paper that makes this claim.[35] Thor Heyerdahl provides an alternative, and much shorter,
estimate based on his first-hand experience crossing the Pacific Ocean on the raft Kon-Tiki: The

nuts we had in baskets on deck remained eatable and capable of germinating the whole way to
Polynesia. But we had laid about half among the special provisions below deck, with the waves
washing around them. Every single one of these was ruined by the sea water. And no coconut can
float over the sea faster than a balsa raft moves with the wind behind it."[27] He also notes that
several of the nuts began to germinate by the time they had been ten weeks at sea, precluding an
unassisted journey of 100 days or more. However, it is more than likely that the coconut variety
Heyerdahl chose for his long sea voyage was of the large, fleshy, spherical niu vai type, which
Harries observed to have a significantly shorter germination type and worse buoyancy than the
uncultivated niu kafa type.[28] Therefore Heyerdahls observations cannot be considered
conclusive when it comes to determining the independent dispersal ability of the uncultivated
coconut.
Drift models based on wind and ocean currents have shown that coconuts could not have drifted
across the Pacific unaided.[35] This provides some circumstantial evidence that Austronesian
peoples carried coconuts across the ocean and that they could not have dispersed worldwide
without human agency. More recently, genomic analysis of cultivated coconut (Cocos nucifera
L.) has shed light on the movements of Austronesian peoples. By examining 10 microsatelite
loci, researchers found two genetically distinct subpopulations of coconutone originating in
the Indian Ocean, the other in the Pacific Ocean. However, admixture, the transfer of genetic
material, evidently occurred between the two populations. Given that coconuts are ideally suited
for ocean dispersal, individuals from one population possibly could have floated to the other.
However, the locations of the admixture events are limited to Madagascar and coastal east
Africa, and exclude the Seychelles. This pattern coincides with the known trade routes of
Austronesian sailors. Additionally, a genetically distinct subpopulation of coconut on the Pacific
coast of Latin America has undergone a genetic bottleneck resulting from a founder effect;
however, its ancestral population is the Pacific coconut, which suggests Austronesian peoples
may have sailed as far east as the Americas.[36]

Distribution[edit]
The coconut has spread across much of the tropics, probably aided in many cases by seafaring
people. Coconut fruit in the wild are light, buoyant and highly water resistant, and evolved to
disperse significant distances via marine currents.[37] Specimens have been collected from the sea
as far north as Norway.[38] In the Hawaiian Islands, the coconut is regarded as a Polynesian
introduction, first brought to the islands by early Polynesian voyagers from their homelands in
Oceania.[16] They have been found in the Caribbean and the Atlantic coasts of Africa and South
America for less than 500 years, but evidence of their presence on the Pacific coast of South
America predates Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas.[24] They are now almost
ubiquitous between 26N and 26S except for the interiors of Africa and South America.

Natural habitat[edit]

Coconut germinating on Black Sand Beach, Island of Hawaii

The coconut palm thrives on sandy soils and is highly tolerant of salinity. It prefers areas with
abundant sunlight and regular rainfall (1500 mm to 2500 mm annually), which makes colonizing
shorelines of the tropics relatively straightforward.[39] Coconuts also need high humidity (70
80%+) for optimum growth, which is why they are rarely seen in areas with low humidity, like
the southeastern Mediterranean or Andalusia, even where temperatures are high enough
(regularly above 24C or 75.2F).
Coconut palms require warm conditions for successful growth, and are intolerant of cold
weather. Optimum growth is with a mean annual temperature of 27 C (81 F), and growth is
reduced below 21 C (70 F). Some seasonal variation is tolerated, with good growth where
mean summer temperatures are between 28 and 37 C (82 and 99 F), and survival as long as
winter temperatures are above 412 C (3954 F); they will survive brief drops to 0 C (32 F).
Severe frost is usually fatal, although they have been known to recover from temperatures of
4 C (25 F).[39] They may grow but not fruit properly in areas with insufficient warmth, such as
Bermuda.
The conditions required for coconut trees to grow without any care are:

Mean daily temperature above 1213C (53.655.4F) every day of the year

Mean annual rainfall above 1,000 mm (39.37 in)

No or very little overhead canopy, since even small trees require direct sun

The main limiting factor for most locations which satisfy the rainfall and temperature
requirements is canopy growth, except those locations near coastlines, where the sandy soil and
salt spray limit the growth of most other trees.

Diseases[edit]
Main article: List of coconut palm diseases
Coconuts are susceptible to the phytoplasma disease lethal yellowing. One recently selected
cultivar, the Maypan, has been bred for resistance to this disease.

Pests[edit]
The coconut palm is damaged by the larvae of many Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) species
which feed on it, including Batrachedra spp.: B. arenosella, B. atriloqua (feeds exclusively on
C. nucifera), B. mathesoni (feeds exclusively on C. nucifera), and B. nuciferae.
Brontispa longissima (coconut leaf beetle) feeds on young leaves, and damages seedlings and
mature coconut palms. In 2007, the Philippines imposed a quarantine in Metro Manila and 26
provinces to stop the spread of the pest and protect the $800 million Philippine coconut industry.
[40]

The fruit may also be damaged by eriophyid coconut mites (Eriophyes guerreronis). This mite
infests coconut plantations, and is devastating: it can destroy up to 90% of coconut production.
The immature seeds are infested and desapped by larvae staying in the portion covered by the
perianth of the immature seed; the seeds then drop off or survive deformed. Spraying with
wettable sulfur 0.4% or with neem-based pesticides can give some relief, but is cumbersome and
labor intensive.
In Kerala, the main coconut pests are the coconut mite, the rhinoceros beetle, the red palm
weevil and the coconut leaf caterpillar. Research on this topic has as of 2009 produced no results,
and researchers from the Kerala Agricultural University and the Central Plantation Crop
Research Institute, Kasaragode are still searching for a cure. The Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kannur
under Kerala Agricultural University has developed an innovative extension approach called
compact area group approach (CAGA) to combat coconut mites.

Cultivation[edit]
Country
Philippines
Indonesia
India
Brazil
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Mexico
Vietnam

Top ten coconut producers in 2010

Production (tonnes)
19,500,000
15,540,000
10,824,100
2,759,044
2,200,000
1,721,640
1,246,400
1,086,000

Footnote

F
F
F
A

Papua New Guinea

Malaysia
Tanzania
World

677,000
555,120
370,000
54,716,444

F
F
A

No symbol = official figure, P = official figure, F = FAO estimate,

* = Unofficial/Semi-official/mirror data, C = Calculated figure,
A = Aggregate (may include official, semi-official or estimates);
Source: Food And Agriculture Organization of the United Nations:
Economic And Social Department: The Statistical Division

Coconut palms are grown in more than 80 countries of the world, with a total production of
61 million tonnes per year.[41] Coconut trees are very hard to establish in dry climates, and cannot
grow there without frequent irrigation; in drought conditions, the new leaves do not open well,
and older leaves may become desiccated; fruit also tends to be shed.[39]
The extent of cultivation in the tropics is threatening a number of habitats, such as mangroves; an
example of such damage to an ecoregion is in the Petenes mangroves of the Yucatn.[42]

Harvesting[edit]
In some parts of the world (Thailand and Malaysia), trained pig-tailed macaques are used to
harvest coconuts. Training schools for pig-tailed macaques still exist both in southern Thailand,
and in the Malaysian state of Kelantan.[43] Competitions are held each year to find the fastest
harvester.

India[edit]

Coconuts being sold on a street in India

Coconut plucking in Kerala, India

Coconut trees in Komarapalayam, Tamil Nadu

Green coconut fruit strands on the tree are featured on each Maldivian rufiyaa banknote

Coconut trees are among the most common sights throughout Kerala
Traditional areas of coconut cultivation in India are the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu,
Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal and the islands
of Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar. Four southern states combined account for almost
92% of the total production in the country: Kerala (45.22%), Tamil Nadu (26.56%), Karnataka
(10.85%), and Andhra Pradesh (8.93%).[44] Other states, such as Goa, Maharashtra, Odisha, West
Bengal, and those in the northeast (Tripura and Assam) account for the remaining 8.44%. Kerala,
which has the largest number of coconut trees, is famous for its coconut-based products
coconut water, copra, coconut oil, coconut cake (also called coconut meal, copra cake, or copra
meal), coconut toddy, coconut shell-based products, coconut wood-based products, coconut
leaves, and coir pith.
Various terms, such as copra and coir, are derived from the native Malayalam language. In
Kerala, the coconut tree is called "Thengu" also termed as kalpa vriksham, which essentially
means all parts of a coconut tree is useful some way or other.

Maldives[edit]

The coconut is the national tree of the Maldives and is considered the most important plant in the
country. A coconut tree is also included in the country's national emblem or coat of arms.
Coconut trees are grown on all the islands. Before modern construction methods were
introduced, coconut leaves were used as roofing material for many houses in the islands, while
coconut timber was used to build houses and boats.

Middle East[edit]
The main coconut-producing area in the Middle East is the Dhofar region of Oman, but they can
be grown all along the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea and Red Sea coasts, because these seas are
tropical and provide enough humidity (through seawater evaporation) for coconut trees to grow.
The young coconut plants need to be nursed and irrigated with drip pipes until they are old
enough (stem bulb development) to be irrigated with brackish water or seawater alone, after
which they can be replanted on the beaches. In particular, the area around Salalah maintains large
coconut plantations similar to those found across the Arabian Sea in Kerala. The reasons why
coconut are cultivated only in Yemen's Al Mahrah and Hadramaut governorates and in the
Sultanate of Oman, but not in other suitable areas in the Arabian Peninsula, may originate from
the fact that Oman and Hadramaut had long dhow trade relations with Burma, Malaysia,
Indonesia, East Africa and Zanzibar, as well as southern India and China. Omani people needed
the coir rope from the coconut fiber to stitch together their traditional high seas-going dhow
vessels in which nails were never used. The 'know how' of coconut cultivation and necessary soil
fixation and irrigation may have found its way into Omani, Hadrami and Al-Mahra culture by
people who returned from those overseas areas.

Coconut trees line the beaches and corniches of Oman.

The coconut cultivars grown in Oman are generally of the drought-resistant Indian "West Coast
tall" (WC Tall) variety. Unlike the UAE, which grows mostly non-native dwarf or hybrid
coconut cultivars imported from Florida for ornamental purposes, the slender, tall Omani
coconut cultivars are relatively well-adapted to the Middle East's hot dry seasons, but need
longer to reach maturity. The Middle East's hot, dry climate favors the development of coconut
mites, which cause immature seed dropping and may cause brownish-gray discoloration on the
coconut's outer green fiber.
The ancient coconut groves of Dhofar were mentioned by the medieval Moroccan traveller Ibn
Battuta in his writings, known as Al Rihla.[45] The annual rainy season known locally as Khareef
or monsoon makes coconut cultivation easy on the Arabian east coast.

Coconut trees also are increasingly grown for decorative purposes along the coasts of the UAE
and Saudi Arabia with the help of irrigation. The UAE has, however, imposed strict laws on
mature coconut tree imports from other countries to reduce the spread of pests to other native
palm trees, as the mixing of date and coconut trees poses a risk of cross-species palm pests, such
as rhinoceros beetles and red palm weevils.[46] The artificial landscaping adopted in Florida may
have been the cause for lethal yellowing, a viral coconut palm disease that leads to the death of
the tree. It is spread by host insects, that thrive on heavy turf grasses. Therefore, heavy turf grass
environments (beach resorts and golf courses) also pose a major threat to local coconut trees.
Traditionally, dessert banana plants and local wild beach flora such as Scaevola taccada and
Ipomoea pes-caprae were used as humidity-supplying green undergrowth for coconut trees,
mixed with sea almond and sea hibiscus. Due to growing sedentary life styles and heavy-handed
landscaping, there has been a decline in these traditional farming and soil-fixing techniques.

Sri Lanka[edit]
An early mention of the planting of coconuts is found in the Mahavamsa during the reign of
Agrabodhi II around 589 AD.[15] Coconuts are common in the Sri Lankan diet and the main
source of dietary fat.[47] Sri Lanka is home to the Coconut Research Institute of Sri Lanka.

United States[edit]
The only places in the United States where coconut palms can be grown and reproduced
outdoors without irrigation are Hawaii, southern Florida, and the territories of Puerto Rico,
Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands.
Coconut palms will grow from coastal Pinellas County and St. Petersburg southwards on
Florida's west coast, and Melbourne southwards on Florida's east coast. The occasional coconut
palm is seen north of these areas in favoured microclimates in the Tampa and Clearwater metro
areas and around Cape Canaveral, as well as the Orlando-Kissimmee-Daytona Beach metro area.
They may likewise be grown in favoured microclimates in the Rio Grande Valley area of
southern Texas near Brownsville, along the upper northeast coast of by Galveston Island, and in
the Southern California coast, specifically Newport Beach, California. They may reach fruiting
maturity, but are damaged or killed by the occasional winter freezes in these areas. While
coconut palms flourish in southern Florida, rare cold snaps can injure coconut palms there, as
well. Only the Florida Keys and the distant southern Atlantic coastlines provide safe havens from
the cold for growing coconut palms on the mainland.[citation needed]

Australia[edit]
Coconuts are commonly grown around the northern coast of Australia, and in some warmer parts
of New South Wales.

Bermuda[edit]

Most of the tall mature coconut trees found in Bermuda were shipped to the island as seedlings
on the decks of ships. In more recent years, the importation of coconuts was prohibited,
therefore, a large proportion of the younger trees have been propagated from locally grown
coconuts.
In the winter months, the growth rate of coconut trees declines due to cooler temperatures and
people have commonly attributed this to the reduced yield of coconuts in comparison to tropical
regions. However, whilst cooler winter temperatures may be a factor in reducing fruit
production, the primary reason for the reduced yield is a lack of water. Bermuda's soil is
generally very shallow (1.5 to 3 feet) and much of a coconut tree's root mass is found in the
porous limestone underneath the soil. Due to the porosity of the limestone, Bermuda's coconut
trees do not generally have a sufficient supply of water with which they are able to support a
large number of fruit as rain water quickly drains down through the limestone layer to the water
table which is far too deep for a coconut's roots to reach. This typically leads to a reduction in
fruit yield (sometimes as little as one or two mature fruits) as well as a reduced milk content
inside the coconut that often causes the fruit to be infertile.
Conversely, trees growing in close proximity to the sea almost universally yield a much greater
volume of fruit as they are able to tap directly into the sea water which permeates the limestone
in such areas. Not only do these trees produce a significantly higher yield, but also the fruit itself
tends to be far more fertile due to the higher milk content. Trees found growing in Bermuda's
marshy inland areas enjoy a similar degree of success as they are also able to tap directly into a
constant supply of water.

Cooler climates[edit]
In cooler climates (but not less than USDA Zone 9), a similar palm, the queen palm (Syagrus
romanzoffiana), is used in landscaping. Its fruits are very similar to the coconut, but much
smaller. The queen palm was originally classified in the genus Cocos along with the coconut, but
was later reclassified in Syagrus. A recently discovered palm, Beccariophoenix alfredii from
Madagascar, is nearly identical to the coconut, more so than the queen palm and can also be
grown in slightly cooler climates than the coconut palm. Coconuts can only be grown in
temperatures above 18C (64F), but need a daily temperature above 22C (72F) to produce
fruit.

Overview of uses[edit]

Coconut trees used for landscaping along a coastal road in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
The coconut palm is grown throughout the tropics for decoration, as well as for its many culinary
and nonculinary uses; virtually every part of the coconut palm can be used by humans in some
manner and has significant economic value. Coconuts' versatility is sometimes noted in its
naming. In Sanskrit, it is kalpa vriksha ("the tree which provides all the necessities of life"). In
the Malay language, it is pokok seribu guna ("the tree of a thousand uses"). In the Philippines,
the coconut is commonly called the "tree of life".[48]

Culinary use[edit]

Green coconuts

Coconut water drink

1890 newspaper advertisement showing tin of dried coconut

The various parts of the coconut have a number of culinary uses. The seed provides oil for
frying, cooking, and making margarine. The white, fleshy part of the seed, the coconut meat, is
used fresh or dried in cooking, especially in confections and desserts such as macaroons.
Desiccated coconut or coconut milk made from it is frequently added to curries and other savory
dishes. Coconut flour has also been developed for use in baking, to combat malnutrition.[49]
Coconut chips have been sold in the tourist regions of Hawaii and the Caribbean. Coconut butter
is often used to describe solidified coconut oil, but has also been adopted as a name by certain
specialty products made of coconut milk solids or pured coconut meat and oil. Dried coconut is
also used as the filling for many chocolate bars. Some dried coconut is purely coconut but others
are manufactured with other ingredients, such as sugar, propylene glycol, salt, and sodium
metabisulfite.

Coconut-inner edible solid part, raw (fresh

kopra)
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy
Carbohydrates

354 kcal (1,480 kJ)

24.23

- Sugars
- Dietary fiber

6.23
9

Fat

33.49

Protein

3.33 g

Water

47

Thiamine (vit. B1)

0.066 mg (6%)

Riboflavin (vit. B2)

0.02 mg (2%)

Niacin (vit. B3)

0.54 mg (4%)

Pantothenic acid (B5)

1.014 mg (20%)

Vitamin B6

0.05 mg (4%)

Vitamin C

3.3 mg (4%)

Calcium

14 mg (1%)

Iron

2.43 mg (19%)

Magnesium

32 mg (9%)

Phosphorus

113 mg (16%)

Potassium

356 mg (8%)

Zinc

1.1 mg (12%)
Percentages are roughly approximated
using US recommendations for adults.

Coconut water[edit]
Main article: Coconut water
Coconut water serves as a suspension for the endosperm of the coconut during its nuclear phase
of development. Later, the endosperm matures and deposits onto the coconut rind during the
cellular phase.[5] Coconut water contains sugar, dietary fiber, proteins, antioxidants, vitamins, and
minerals, and provides an isotonic electrolyte balance.[citation needed] It is consumed as a refreshing
drink throughout the humid tropics, and is gaining popularity as a sports drink. Mature fruits
have significantly less liquid than young, immature coconuts, barring spoilage. Coconut water
can be fermented to produce coconut vinegar.

coconut water
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy

19 kcal (79 kJ)

Carbohydrates

3.71

- Sugars

2.61

- Dietary fiber

1.1

Fat

0.2

Protein

0.72

Water

95

Thiamine (vit. B1)

0.03 mg (3%)

Riboflavin (vit. B2)

0.057 mg (5%)

Niacin (vit. B3)

0.08 mg (1%)

Vitamin B6

0.032 mg (2%)

Vitamin C

2.4 mg (3%)

Calcium

24 mg (2%)

Iron

0.29 mg (2%)

Magnesium

25 mg (7%)

Phosphorus

20 mg (3%)

Potassium

250 mg (5%)

Zinc

0.1 mg (1%)
Percentages are roughly approximated
using US recommendations for adults.

Coconut milk[edit]
Main article: Coconut milk

Purest coconut milk (kakang gata), from 15 fresh, mature coconuts in the Philippines.
Coconut milk, not to be confused with coconut water, is obtained primarily by extracting juice by
pressing the grated coconut's white kernel or by passing hot water or milk through grated
coconut, which extracts the oil and aromatic compounds. It has a fat content around 17%.[citation
needed]
When refrigerated and left to set, coconut cream will rise to the top and separate from the
milk. The milk can be used to produce virgin coconut oil by controlled heating and removal of
the oil fraction.

Coconut oil[edit]

Main article: Coconut oil

Another byproduct of the coconut is coconut oil. It is commonly used in cooking, especially for
frying. It can be used in liquid form as would other vegetable oils, or in solid form as would
butter or lard.

Toddy and nectar[edit]

The sap derived from incising the flower clusters of the coconut is drunk as neera, also known as
toddy or tuba (Philippines), tuak (Indonesia and Malaysia) or karewe (fresh and not fermented,
collected twice a day, for breakfast and dinner) in Kiribati. When left to ferment on its own, it
becomes palm wine. Palm wine is distilled to produce arrack. In the Philippines, this alcoholic
drink is called lambanog or "coconut vodka".[50]
The sap can be reduced by boiling to create a sweet syrup or candy such as te kamamai in
Kiribati or dhiyaa hakuru and addu bondi in the Maldives. It can be reduced further to yield
coconut sugar also referred to as palm sugar or jaggery. A young, well-maintained tree can
produce around 300 liters (66 imp gal; 79 U.S. gal) of toddy per year, while a 40-year-old tree
may yield around 400 liters (88 imp gal; 110 U.S. gal).[51]

Heart of palm and coconut sprout[edit]

Apical buds of adult plants are edible, and are known as "palm cabbage" or heart of palm. They
are considered a rare delicacy, as harvesting the buds kills the palms. Hearts of palm are eaten in
salads, sometimes called "millionaire's salad". Newly germinated coconuts contain an edible fluff
of marshmallow-like consistency called coconut sprout, produced as the endosperm nourishes
the developing embryo.

Indonesia[edit]
In 2010, Indonesia increased its coconut production. It is now the world's second largest
producer of coconuts. The gross production was 15 million tonnes.[52] A sprouting coconut seed is
the logo for Gerakan Pramuka Indonesia, the Indonesian Scouting organization. It can be seen on
all the scouting paraphernalia that elementary (SMA) school children wear as well as on the
scouting pins and flags.

Philippines[edit]

Harvesting coconuts in the Philippines is done by workers who climb the trees using notches cut
into the trunk.

From left to right: grated, fresh, mature coconut meat; seed interior; healing oil, rare two-eyed
coconut shell; and more grated meat (Philippines)
The Philippines is the world's largest producer of coconuts, the production of coconuts plays an
important role in the economy. Coconuts in the Philippines are usually used in making main
dishes, refreshments and desserts. Coconut juice is also a popular drink in the country. In the
Philippines, particularly Cebu, rice is wrapped in coconut leaves for cooking and subsequent
storage; these packets are called puso. Coconut milk, known as gata, and grated coconut flakes
are used in the preparation of dishes such as laing, ginataan, bibingka, ube halaya, pitsi-pitsi,
palitaw, buko pie and more. Coconut jam is made by mixing muscovado sugar with coconut
milk. Coconut sport fruits are also harvested. One such variety of coconut is known as
macapuno. Its meat is sweetened, cut into strands and sold in glass jars as coconut strings,
sometimes labeled as "gelatinous mutant coconut". Coconut water can be fermented to make a
different productnata de coco (coconut gel).

Vietnam[edit]
In Vietnam, coconut is grown mainly in Bn Tre Province, often called the "land of the coconut".
It is used to make coconut candy, caramel, and jelly. Coconut juice and coconut milk are used,
especially in Vietnam's southern style of cooking, including kho and ch.

India[edit]

In southern India, most common way of cooking vegetables is to add grated coconut and then
steam them with spices fried in oil. People from southern India also make chutney, which
involves grinding the coconut with salt, chillies, and whole spices. Uruttu chammanthi
(granulated chutney) is eaten with rice or kanji (rice gruel). It is also invariably the main side
dish served with idli, vadai, and dosai. Coconut ground with spices is also mixed in sambar and
other various lunch dishes for extra taste. Dishes garnished with grated coconut are generally
referred to as poduthol in North Malabar and thoran in rest of Kerala. Puttu is a culinary delicacy
of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, in which layers of coconut alternate with layers of powdered rice, all
of which fit into a bamboo stalk. Recently, this has been replaced with a steel or aluminium tube,
which is then steamed over a pot. Coconut (Tamil: ) is regularly broken in the middleclass families in Tamil Nadu for food. Coconut meat can be eaten as a snack sweetened with
jaggery or molasses. In Karnataka sweets are prepared using coconut and dry coconut "copra".,
Like Kaie Obattu, Kobri mitai etc.

Commercial, industrial, and household use[edit]

Cultivars[edit]
Coconut has a number of commercial and traditional cultivars. They can be sorted mainly into
tall cultivars, dwarf cultivars and hybrid cultivars (hybrids between talls and dwarfs). Some of
the dwarf cultivars such as Malayan dwarf has shown some promising resistance to lethal
yellowing while other cultivars such as Panama tall is highly affected by the same plant disease.
Some cultivars are more drought resistant such as West coast tall (India) while others such as
Hainan Tall (China) are more cold tolerant. Other aspects such as seed size, shape and weight
and copra thickness are also important factors in the selection of new cultivars. Some cultivars
such as Fiji dwarf form a large bulb at the lower stem and others are cultivated to produce very
sweet coconut water with orange coloured husks (king coconut) used entirely in fruit stalls for
drinking (Sri Lanka, India).

Coir[edit]
Main article: coir

A wall made from coconut husks

Extracting the fiber from the husk (Sri Lanka)

Coir (the fiber from the husk of the coconut) is used in ropes, mats, door mats, brushes, sacks,
caulking for boats, and as stuffing fiber for mattresses.[53] It is used in horticulture in potting
compost, especially in orchid mix.

Coconut fronds[edit]

Toys from coconut leaves

The stiff mid-ribs of coconut leaves are used for making brooms in India, Indonesia (sapu lidi),
Malaysia, the Maldives and the Philippines (walis tingting). The green of the leaves (lamina) are
stripped away, leaving the veins (wood-like, thin, long strips) which are tied together to form a
broom or brush. A long handle made from some other wood may be inserted into the base of the
bundle and used as a two-handed broom. The leaves also provide material for baskets that can
draw well water and for roofing thatch; they can be woven into mats, cooking skewers, and
kindling arrows, as well. Two leaves (especially the younger, yellowish shoots) woven into a
tight shell the size of the palm are filled with rice and cooked to make ketupat.[54] Dried coconut
leaves can be burned to ash, which can be harvested for lime. In India, the woven coconut leaves
are used as pandals (temporary sheds) for marriage functions especially in the states of Kerala,
Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

Copra[edit]
Main articles: Copra and Coconut oil

Copra is the dried meat of the seed and after processing produces coconut oil and coconut meal.
Coconut oil, aside from being used in cooking as an ingredient and for frying, is used in soaps,
cosmetics, hair-oil, and massage oil. Coconut oil is also a main ingredient in Ayurvedic oils. In
Vanuatu coconut palms for copra production are generally spaced 9 meters apart, allowing a tree
density of 100160 trees per hectare.

Husks and shells[edit]

The husk and shells can be used for fuel and are a source of charcoal.[55] Activated carbon
manufactured from coconut shell is considered extremely effective for the removal of impurities.
The coconut's obscure origin in foreign lands led to the notion of using cups made from the shell
to neutralise poisoned drinks. The cups were frequently engraved and decorated with precious
metals.[56]
A dried half coconut shell with husk can be used to buff floors. It is known as a bunot in the
Philippines and simply a "coconut brush" in Jamaica. The fresh husk of a brown coconut may
serve as a dish sponge or body sponge. Tempurung as the shell is called in the Malay language
can be used as a soup bowl andif fixed with a handlea ladle. In India, coconut shells are also
used as bowls and in the manufacture of various handicrafts, including buttons carved from dried
shell. Coconut buttons are often used for Hawaiian aloha shirts. In Thailand, the coconut husk is
used as a potting medium to produce healthy forest tree saplings. The process of husk extraction
from the coir bypasses the retting process, using a custom-built coconut husk extractor designed
by ASEANCanada Forest Tree Seed Centre (ACFTSC) in 1986. Fresh husks contains more
tannin than old husks. Tannin produces negative effects on sapling growth.[57] In parts of South
India, the shell and husk are burned for smoke to repel mosquitoes.
Half coconut shells are used in theatre Foley sound effects work, banged together to create the
sound effect of a horse's hoofbeats. Dried half shells are used as the bodies of musical
instruments, including the Chinese yehu and banhu, along with the Vietnamese n go and
Arabo-Turkic rebab. In the Philippines, dried half shells are also used as a music instrument in a
folk dance called maglalatik.
In World War II, coastwatcher scout Biuki Gasa was the first of two from the Solomon Islands to
reach the shipwrecked and wounded crew of Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109 commanded by future
U.S. president John F. Kennedy. Gasa suggested, for lack of paper, delivering by dugout canoe a
message inscribed on a husked coconut shell. This coconut was later kept on the president's desk,
and is now in the John F. Kennedy Library.[citation needed]

Coconut trunk[edit]

The base of an old coconut palm

Coconut Palace, Manila, Philippines, built entirely out of coconut and local materials
Coconut trunks are used for building small bridges and huts; they are preferred for their
straightness, strength, and salt resistance. In Kerala, coconut trunks are used for house
construction. Coconut timber comes from the trunk, and is increasingly being used as an
ecologically sound substitute for endangered hardwoods. It has applications in furniture and
specialized construction, as notably demonstrated in Manila's Coconut Palace.
Hawaiians hollowed the trunk to form drums, containers, or small canoes. The "branches" (leaf
petioles) are strong and flexible enough to make a switch. The use of coconut branches in
corporal punishment was revived in the Gilbertese community on Choiseul in the Solomon
Islands in 2005.[58]

Coconut roots[edit]
The roots are used as a dye, a mouthwash, and a medicine for diarrhea and dysentery.[7] A frayed
piece of root can also be used as a toothbrush.

Use in beauty products[edit]

Coconuts are used in the beauty industry in moisturisers and body butters because coconut oil,
due to its chemical structure, is readily absorbed by the skin. The coconut shell may also be
ground down and added to products for exfoliation of dead skin. Coconut is also a source of
lauric acid, which can be processed in a particular way to produce sodium lauryl sulfate, a
detergent used in shower gels and shampoos.[59] The nature of lauric acid as a fatty acid makes it
particularly effective for creating detergents and surfactants.

Role in culture and religion[edit]

In the Ilocos region of northern Philippines, the Ilocano people fill two halved coconut shells
with diket (cooked sweet rice), and place liningta nga itlog (halved boiled egg) on top of it. This
ritual, known as niniyogan, is an offering made to the deceased and one's ancestors. This
accompanies the palagip (prayer to the dead).
A coconut (Sanskrit: narikela) is an essential element of rituals in Hindu tradition. Often it is
decorated with bright metal foils and other symbols of auspiciousness. It is offered during
worship to a Hindu god or goddess. Irrespective of their religious affiliations, fishermen of India
often offer it to the rivers and seas in the hopes of having bountiful catches. Hindus often initiate
the beginning of any new activity by breaking a coconut to ensure the blessings of the gods and
successful completion of the activity. The Hindu goddess of well-being and wealth, Lakshmi, is
often shown holding a coconut.[60] In the foothills of the temple town of Palani, before going to
worship Murugan for the Ganesha, coconuts are broken at a place marked for the purpose. Every
day, thousands of coconuts are broken, and some devotees break as many as 108 coconuts at a
time as per the prayer. In tantric practices, coconuts are sometimes used as substitutes for human
skulls .[citation needed]

Coconut flowers

In Hindu wedding ceremonies, a coconut is placed over the opening of a pot, representing a
womb. Coconut flowers are auspicious symbols and are fixtures at Hindu and Buddhist weddings
and other important occasions. In Kerala, coconut flowers must be present during a marriage
ceremony. The flowers are inserted into a barrel of unhusked rice (paddy) and placed within sight
of the wedding ceremony. Similarly in Sri Lanka, coconut flowers, standing in brass urns, are
placed in prominent positions.
The Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club of New Orleans traditionally throws hand-decorated
coconuts, the most valuable of Mardi Gras souvenirs, to parade revelers. The "Tramps" began the
tradition circa 1901. In 1987, a "coconut law" was signed by Gov. Edwards exempting from
insurance liability any decorated coconut "handed" from a Zulu float.
The coconut is also used as a target and prize in the traditional British fairground game "coconut
shy". The player buys some small balls which he throws as hard as he can at coconuts balanced
on sticks. The aim is to knock a coconut off the stand and win it.
It was the main food of adherents of the now discontinued Vietnamese religion o Da in Bn
Tre.

Myths and legends[edit]

Some South Asian, Southeast Asian and Pacific Ocean cultures have origin myths in which the
coconut plays the main role. In the Hainuwele myth from Maluku, a girl emerges from the
blossom of a coconut tree.[61] In Maldivian folklore one of the main myths of origin reflects the
dependence of the Maldivians on the coconut tree.[62]
According to an urban legend, there are more deaths caused by falling coconuts than by sharks
annually.

Medicinal uses[edit]
Coconuts may help benign prostatic hyperplasia.[63] In rats, virgin coconut oil reduced total
cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, LDL, and VLDL cholesterol levels and increased HDL
cholesterol in serum and tissues.[64] The hexane fraction of coconut peel may contain novel
anticancer compounds.[65] Young coconut juice has estrogen-like characteristics.[66] Inside a
coconut is a cavity filled with coconut water, which is sterile until opened. It mixes easily with
blood, and was used during World War II in emergency transfusions.[67] It can also serve as an
emergency short-term intravenous hydration fluid.[68] This is possible because the coconut water
has a high level of sugar and other salts that makes it possible to be used in the bloodstream,
much like the modern lactated Ringer solution or a dextrose/water solution as an intravenous
solution (IV). Coconut is also commonly used as a traditional remedy in Pakistan to treat bites
from rats.[citation needed] In Brazil, coconut is known as coco-da-bahia, coco-da-baa or coqueiro-dandia. The tea from the husk fiber is widely used to treat several inflammatory disorders.[69]

Other uses[edit]

Making a rug from coconut fiber

The leftover fiber from coconut oil and coconut milk production, coconut meal, is used as
livestock feed. The dried calyx is used as fuel in wood-fired stoves. Coconut water is
traditionally used as a growth supplement in plant tissue culture/micropropagation.[70] The smell
of coconuts comes from the 6-pentyloxan-2-one molecule, known as delta-decalactone in the
food and fragrance industries.[71]

Tool and shelter for animals[edit]

Researchers from the Melbourne Museum in Australia observed the octopus species
Amphioctopus marginatus use of tools, specifically coconut shells, for defense and shelter. The
discovery of this behavior was observed in Bali and North Sulawesi in Indonesia between 1998
and 2008.[72][73][74] Amphioctopus marginatus is the first invertebrate known to be able to use
tools.[73][75]
A coconut can be hollowed out and used as a home for a rodent or small birds. Halved, drained
coconuts can also be hung up as bird feeders, and after the flesh has gone, can be filled with fat
in winter to attract tits.

Allergies[edit]
Food allergies[edit]
Coconut can be a food allergen although its prevalence varies from country to country. While
coconut is one of the top-five food allergies in India where it is a common food source,[76] such
allergies to coconut are considered rare in Australia, the UK, and the United States.[77] As a result,
commercial extracts of coconut are not currently available for skin prick testing in Australia or
New Zealand.[78]
Despite a low prevalence of allergies to coconut in the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) began identifying coconuts in October 2006.[77] Based on FDA guidance
and federal U.S. law, coconut must be disclosed as an ingredient.[79]

Topical allergies[edit]

Coconut-derived products can cause contact dermatitis. They can be present in cosmetics,
including some shampoos, moisturizers, soaps, cleansers and hand washing liquids. Those
known to cause contact dermatitis include: coconut diethanolamide, cocamide sulphate,
cocamide DEA, CDEA, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauroyl sulfate, ammonium laureth
sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, sodium cocoyl sarcosinate,
potassium coco hydrolysed collagen, triethanolamine laureth sulfate, caprylic/capric
triglycerides, triethanolamine lauryl or cocoyl sarcosime, disodium oleamide sulfocuccinate,
laureth sulfasuccinate, and disodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate.[78]
Balance Sheet of Bombay
Dyeing and Manufacturing
Company

------------------- in Rs. Cr. -------------------

Mar '13

Mar '12

Mar '11

Mar '10

Mar '09

12 mths

12 mths

12 mths

12 mths

12 mths

Total Share Capital

41.31

41.31

40.54

38.61

38.61

Equity Share Capital

41.31

41.31

40.54

38.61

38.61

Share Application Money

0.00

0.00

26.75

0.00

0.00

Preference Share Capital

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

1,645.77

1,751.09

282.07

171.74

130.25

0.00

0.00

778.83

0.00

201.56

1,687.08

1,792.40

1,128.19

210.35

370.42

Secured Loans

793.64

760.74

1,146.49

1,611.97

1,499.00

Unsecured Loans

167.96

51.15

90.81

163.14

211.88

Total Debt

961.60

811.89

1,237.30

1,775.11

1,710.88

2,648.68

2,604.29

2,365.49

1,985.46

2,081.30

Mar '13

Mar '12

Mar '11

Mar '10

Mar '09

12 mths

12 mths

12 mths

12 mths

12 mths

Sources Of Funds

Reserves
Revaluation Reserves
Networth

Total Liabilities

Application Of Funds

Gross Block

1,310.20

1,271.81

1,190.14

1,183.44

1,159.75

Less: Accum. Depreciation

402.25

342.39

292.81

231.26

178.72

Net Block

907.95

929.42

897.33

952.18

981.03

Capital Work in Progress

126.91

102.04

205.55

208.39

218.85

55.96

55.96

60.19

60.19

60.22

1,285.99

1,549.73

1,031.72

144.24

380.31

216.80

137.59

203.46

634.57

405.93

42.55

33.31

4.97

18.86

9.95

Total Current Assets

1,545.34

1,720.63

1,240.15

797.67

796.19

Loans and Advances

1,134.94

780.05

286.19

278.86

257.38

0.00

0.00

16.05

15.03

113.63

2,680.28

2,500.68

1,542.39

1,091.56

1,167.20

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

1,083.69

952.00

316.50

309.86

335.94

38.73

31.81

23.47

17.00

11.46

Total CL & Provisions

1,122.42

983.81

339.97

326.86

347.40

Net Current Assets

1,557.86

1,516.87

1,202.42

764.70

819.80

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

1.40

2,648.68

2,604.29

2,365.49

1,985.46

2,081.30

189.05

169.46

111.70

75.26

49.64

81.68

433.92

79.56

54.47

43.73

Investments
Inventories
Sundry Debtors
Cash and Bank Balance

Fixed Deposits
Total CA, Loans & Advances
Deffered Credit
Current Liabilities
Provisions

Miscellaneous Expenses
Total Assets

Contingent Liabilities
Book Value (Rs)

Profit & Loss account of

Bombay Dyeing and
Manufacturing Company

------------------- in Rs. Cr. -------------------

Mar '13

Mar '12

Mar '11

Mar '10

Mar '09

12 mths

12 mths

12 mths

12 mths

12 mths

2,329.26

2,230.81

2,019.40

1,707.84

1,388.36

0.00

0.00

102.85

46.46

44.36

2,329.26

2,230.81

1,916.55

1,661.38

1,344.00

45.97

54.57

36.12

2.20

-14.84

-173.67

683.38

47.49

-2.52

4.22

2,201.56

2,968.76

2,000.16

1,661.06

1,333.38

1,367.88

1,423.25

1,169.49

822.33

815.41

135.45

103.93

85.68

82.87

94.10

98.46

84.21

60.02

49.72

51.38

Income
Sales Turnover
Excise Duty
Net Sales
Other Income
Stock Adjustments
Total Income
Expenditure
Raw Materials
Power & Fuel Cost
Employee Cost

Other Manufacturing Expenses

93.62

915.43

232.72

275.20

178.19

0.00

0.00

140.13

105.10

105.41

171.57

125.13

48.90

43.24

40.33

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

1,866.98

2,651.95

1,736.94

1,378.46

1,284.82

Mar '13

Mar '12

Mar '11

Mar '10

Mar '09

12 mths

12 mths

12 mths

12 mths

12 mths

Operating Profit

288.61

262.24

227.10

280.40

63.40

PBDIT

334.58

316.81

263.22

282.60

48.56

Interest

174.74

180.57

174.07

200.70

184.95

PBDT

159.84

136.24

89.15

81.90

-136.39

62.03

61.39

62.08

59.54

55.73

Other Written Off

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

Profit Before Tax

97.81

74.85

27.07

22.36

-192.12

0.00

0.00

0.28

0.00

0.00

PBT (Post Extra-ord Items)

97.81

74.85

27.35

22.36

-192.12

Tax

22.11

15.50

5.26

3.77

1.02

Reported Net Profit

75.70

59.35

21.39

18.42

-194.62

Total Value Addition

499.10

1,228.70

567.45

556.13

469.41

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

20.66

20.66

14.19

9.66

3.86

3.50

3.36

2.30

1.60

0.66

Shares in issue (lakhs)

2,065.35

413.07

405.47

386.17

386.17

Earning Per Share (Rs)

3.67

14.37

5.28

4.77

-50.40

Equity Dividend (%)

50.00

50.00

35.00

25.00

10.00

Book Value (Rs)

81.68

433.92

79.56

54.47

43.73

Selling and Admin Expenses

Miscellaneous Expenses
Preoperative Exp Capitalised
Total Expenses

Depreciation

Extra-ordinary items

Preference Dividend
Equity Dividend
Corporate Dividend Tax
Per share data (annualised)

Cash Flow of Bombay Dyeing

and Manufacturing Company

------------------- in Rs. Cr. -------------------

Mar '13

Mar '12

Mar '11

Mar '10

12 mths

12 mths

12 mths

12 mths

12 mths

97.81

74.85

26.37

22.19

-193.60

Net Cash From Operating Activities

322.54

101.79

551.97

75.03

9.36

Net Cash (used in)/from

Investing Activities

-65.06

3.55

31.51

-12.45

-2.33

-231.91

-103.78

-597.37

-152.27

62.82

25.57

1.56

-13.89

-89.69

69.85

5.68

4.12

18.86

123.58

53.73

Net Profit Before Tax

Net Cash (used in)/from Financing Activities

Net (decrease)/increase In Cash and Cash Equivalents
Opening Cash & Cash Equivalents

Mar '09

Closing Cash & Cash Equivalents

31.25

5.68

4.97

33.89

123.58

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Cracking open the coconut water market
Trends
Date
March 8, 2012
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Marcella Bidinost
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C Coconut Water founder Adam Abrams (left) with Julian Tobias and Zac Jex. Photo:
Supplied.
Much like its natural packaging, the Australian market for coconut water is young,
green and ripening with potential. But who knows if it will be a tough nut to crack?
Flash back to a year ago: had you even heard of coconut water, let alone tried it?
Not coconut milk or cream (think curries for those), but coconut water, the healthladen juice of young green coconuts, which Latin Americans and Asians have been
selling from roadsides, poking holes in and swigging on for years.
Following a US trend, Australian marketeers would have us think that lugging home
and cracking coconuts is way too cumbersome. Peer a little closer at your local
retailer's shelves and you'll notice coconut water is being packaged and placed in
increasing clusters on supermarket shelves. In the past year, around 15 brands
have hit the Australian market.

C Coconut Water.
The trend comes hot on the heels of the recent upsurge of coconut water sales in
the US, where slimmers, sports nuts and superstars are riding its health craze wave.
While entrepreneurs have also scrambled to release new entries in other once
obscure drink categories like chia, aloe and kombucha, coconut water has cracked
the market.
Advertisement
Selling more coconut water than milk
In some New York convenience stores, they're selling more coconut water than
milk, says Adam Abrams, founder of C Coconut Water, Australia's newest addition
to the coconut water scene.
Last year, Vita Coco, the biggest-selling coconut water brand in the US, won
BevNET's top product and marketing awards pitting it above all other soft drinks,
juices, flavoured milks, sports and energy drinks. Granted, Vita Coco mixed
chocolate with coconut water to scoop best product and drew on recording artist
Rihanna for general coconut water endorsement, but also managed to rake in
$US40 million in sales while they were at it.
Star investors

With big-name investors Madonna, Matthew McConaughey and Demi Moore, Vita
Coco controls 60 per cent of America's $US350 million coconut water market (still a
tiny player in the $US115 billion North American market) and is on track to more
than double profits this year.
In the US, Vita Coco is up against coconut water brands backed by Coca Cola and
PepsiCo; meanwhile in Australia, Schweppes is the biggest drinks company behind a
coconut water label following last year's launch of its Kokomo brand. The second
biggest name is Nudie, followed by a bunch of smaller businesses giving the new
drink a go.
On creating the Kokomo brand, Marshall Ward, managing director of design agency
Blue Marlin, said: Our challenge was to create a new category that excites and
captivates a jaded, over-marketed, well-travelled, worldly consumer who in all
likelihood has no frame of reference for a product of this type.
Year of the coconut
Coconut water has been lingering largely unnoticed and unmarketed in Asian
grocery fridges for years, but you could pretty much call 2011 Australia's 'year of
coconut water, gone retail'.
While it's too early to put a value on Australia's burgeoning market, a coconut water
Australia review site has landed, claiming to be publishing independent reviews and
stockists for the drink.
Since launching in September, C Coconut Water has sold 300,000 units, across
almost 1000 outlets. Founder Adam Abrams says being among the new breed is
exciting. We just received our first orders from South Africa, Japan and Hong Kong
and we're adding between five and 10 new customers a day.
Abrams runs C Coconut Water with beverage expert Zac Jex and Julian Tobias,
Abrams' co-owner in Sydney's TheClub nightclub and The Island event space on
Sydney Harbour.
Global search
The trio, all in their early 30s, spent the past two years travelling on and off around
the globe to find the best-tasting coconuts. They discovered Mexico, India and
Indonesia's were too salty while the Thai ones were too sweet. But the coconuts
from the Mindanao island group in the Philippines were spot-on. After covering
product and packaging costs, the C Coconut Water team donates seedlings for new
plantations in the Philippines to local farmers and money to a local orphanage.
In Australia, a few links between coconut water and nightclubs have emerged. First,
the product is hailed for its hydration value and is chock-full of electrolytes, calcium,
potassium and magnesium - all stellar elements of a hangover cure. And last year

Sydney nightclub owners Dave and Adam Freeman also released a coconut water
brand, H2Coco, backed by radio and TV personality Kyle Sandilands. H2Coco
launched just months before C Coconut Water last year and, like C Coconut Water
and Kokomo, also sources the beverage from the Philippines.
Packaging the product
When we first had the idea of launching a coconut water into Australia, no one else
seemed to be on the market, Abrams says. We could have rushed and been
among the first to market in a can, but it was really important that we wait and get
our packaging right.
The trio opted for Tetra Pak packaging over a can or clear bottle to maintain
freshness, lengthen shelf life to 12 months and prevent oxidisation, which occurs
when the water is exposed to light. Another aim was to package the coconut water
at the source.
There are plenty of coconuts around the world but a lot of the major companies
have already sewn up supply of the world's packaging machines, Abrams says.
Most other brands ship their products for packaging elsewhere, but we wanted to
package at the source, to avoid the need for pasteurising the coconut water before
transporting it.
Fad or forever?
While no one knows if coconut water is a fad or forever, Abrams and his team are
chuffed to have brought a consumer product to market.
It's strange to have an idea to create a consumer product, come up with the brand,
watch it packed for the first time and ultimately to be in a restaurant or caf and
watch someone drinking it. It's a good feeling, he says.
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Tender coconut water set for image changeover

M.R. Subramani
CHENNAI, Feb. 25
THE bulky, non-descript coconut will soon become a product that will be related to sleek, slim and trendy.
Producers of value-added coconut products along with the Coconut Development Board (CBD) are planning to
promote coconut as one that will signify health. If the producers have their way, it may even be promoted as a
sports drink.
"We are trying to change the image of coconut from being a bulky, space-occupying product,"says Mr Ajay Kumar
Jain, Director, Jain Agro Food Products. His company procures tender coconuts from growers and packs them in
trendy 200 ml sachets. The packed tender coconut water has a shelf life of nine months in sachets and if packed in
a tin can, the shelf life doubles.
The packed tender coconut was born out of necessity when coconut farmers were staring the barrel due to poor
prices.

"Until two years ago, coconut prices were determined by the global edible oil prices. With over supply and
increasing palm oil imports, coconut farmers were in distress. It was then the CDB decided to look into other uses
of coconut," says Dr Sugata Ghose, Director, CDB.
The first step CDB took was try and develop a technology to pack tender coconut water. It sponsored a project by
the Defence Food Research Laboratory and reaped success. The CDB then transferred the technology to six firms,
of which two have begun marketing this in sachets.
"Our plan is to target hospitals, corporates and caterers. Already, we are finding good response to these tender
coconut water in sachets in places such as Delhi and Maharashtra," says Mr Jain.
"Tender coconut water has very good medical use. It can be used as a potassium supplement for those with heart
ailments. Similarly, it can be good for patients with kidney problems," say medical experts.
"During the Gujarat earthquake, tender coconut water was administered as intravenous injection. At least, one lakh
sachets were used," claims Mr Jain."Packed tender coconuts can be made available throughout the year. And these
come with assured taste and quantity, unlike what is available in the waysides,"says Mr Jain, whose unit produces
20,000 sachets a day.
But of late, the thinking is that tender coconut water has to extend beyond the four walls of the hospitals. "That is
why we are suggesting that this be projected as a sport drink since it has all the required nutrients for a
sportsman," says Mr Jain.
While cricketers, the most popular ones in the country, are definitely out of contention to promote tender coconut
water, the producers of value-added coconut producers are looking to other sports.
"It will be hard for us to engage cricketers for this. One, we can foot their costs. Two, most of them are promoting
soft drinks," says an official, who does not want to be identified.
Currently, these producers have identified badminton star and former All-England Badminton champion Pullela
Gopichand to promote their product. "Gopichand has refused to promote soft drinks. We should approach him to
promote this natural drink,"says one of the marketing firm of tender coconut water.
Mr Jain says the Government has been sounded about this and it is quite open to their suggestion.
"If we can't get any sportsperson to promote tender coconut water, we may appoint brand ambassadors," says the
marketing firm.
The producers have asked the Government to go in for a generic promotion of tender coconut water. But the
Government has said it would only play the role of facilitator. "We can only facilitate. Under our programme to
promote use of coconut and its products, we can help them by footing 25 per cent of the costs for marketing
promotion," official sources said.
Besides promoting within the country, efforts to increase exports are also on.

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