Coconuts in Thailand -Farming Photo/Image

Farming Coconuts in Thailand.

My home in Thailand is surrounded by coconut groves. These are farmed by the local land owners. The humble coconut, “maprao” in Thai, flourishes in many parts of central and southern Thailand. However it is not found in the north or east where climatic conditions are less favourable because of temperature fluctuations and lack of rainfall.

The coconut itself is the seed of the coconut tree and not a true nut. When you cut away the green/brown husk the hard shelled seed is exposed. This is what you buy in Western supermarkets and call a coconut.

Trees are planted in groves and take a few years to reach fruiting age but can produce fruit for up to 90 years. Reaching up to 60 feet high on average a mature tree produces around 25 coconuts a year. These are collected in three main ways.

Mostly they are harvested by workers, using a long bamboo poles which have a sharp knife attached at the top, cutting the stem and letting the nut fall to the floor. A second method popular in the South of Thailand is to use trained monkeys, Pig-Tailed Macaques, to climb the trees and collect the nuts. The final collection method is by picking up windfalls.

Several pests affect the coconut palm with the Coconut Beetle causing most damage locally.

Thailand is the worlds 5th highest producer of coconuts and their bi-products. However more about coconut products tomorrow because I can assure you that there is a lot more to the coconut than the sickly white flesh that many a kid enjoys in their Bounty Bar.

Equipment: Canon EOS 1000D 55mm Lens

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