Coconut palms on the beach and on rivers up to 150km inland

Coconut palms produce coconuts. The word "kokkos" is ancient Greek and means "kernel" or "berry". Coconut palms are a source for food and raw materials with wood for house building, leaves for the roof, fibers for mats, baskets, ropes, thin walls, etc., and the fruits are for food. Coconut palms need sandy loamy soil (coastal areas) or fresh, loose, nutrient-rich and deep soils. Salt water is tolerated up to 0.638%. The soil values are varying from pH5 to pH8 [web01].

The climate must always have some rain, 1000 to 5000 mm per year, and it must be warm, thus a tropical climate, always on the coast lines, and on rivers to 150km inland. Humans have spread the coconut palm in all tropical coasts. Coconuts also swim long distances in the sea and are still germinable after 100 days in salt water [web01].

     
Dwarf coconut palm [3] - coconut cut open [4] - green coconut is cut off [5] - germinating coconut [6]

Outer skin - fiber layer - hard core - pulp (copra) - 3 seed holes - coconut water

A coconut has a leathery outer skin, a thick fiber layer, and a hard core (hard inner shell) with the white pulp (copra). The 3 points on the hard shell are the 3 germ holes, with only one of the three holes growing a germ. You can scrape this germ hole and let the coconut water flow out or drink the coconut water with a straw. From the copra are produced: coconut oil (or coconut fat), coconut flakes, and coconut paste [web01].

     
Coconut harvest with a ladder, Kerala (India) [8] - Coconuts swimming [9,10] - Coconut with 3 germ holes [11]

Coconut with 3 holes forming a coconut face (2 eyes and a mouth) [12]

Main growing countries - coconut monkeys for the harvest in Southeast Asia

Main growing countries for coconuts are successively: Indonesia, Philippines, India, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, Mexico, Thailand, Malaysia. For the harvest a coconut palm should not grow too high, otherwise the harvest becomes unprofitable. There are used stalks with knives on them, or people climb up with knives, or in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia also monkeys (macaques) are trained (harvest monkeys). A harvest monkey is integrated into family life like a family member [web01].

Video: Monkeys trained to pick coconuts (3min.57sec.)

Video: Monkeys trained to pick coconuts (3min.57sec.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gWEsNL-RJc

   
Coconut monkey on a rope - coconut monkey on rise - the coconut monkey is in the palm crown with the coconuts

   
The coconut monkey turns on a coconut, close-up - coconut monkey jumps from palm tree to palm tree - the coconut monkey is trained already in his childhood

   
The coconut monkey is trained on the rack 1,2,3

   
The coconut monkey is also fishing coconuts from the waters 1,2,3

 
The coconut monkey is also fishing coconuts from the waters 4,5

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