COCONUT PALM.. THE FOOD CROP

ORIGIN

• Little is known but the coconut palm is believed to be native the Malay archipelago or the South Pacific.

HOW IT IS GROWN

HOW IT IS GROWM

• Coconut palm propagation is wholly from the seed
• The planters know if they're ready for planting when the coconuts make a sloshing sound.

WHERE IT IS GROWN

WHERE IT IS GROWN

• You will most likely find a coconut palm on tropical, sandy shorelines.
• However the plant does not require salt for growth.
• They require full sunlight and can withstand flooding.
• Coconut palms can not stand freezing temperatures.

HOW MUCH IS PRODUCED

HOW MUCH IS GROWN

• Starts fruiting 6-10 years after seeds germinate.
• Reaches full production at 15-20 years old
• The tree continues to fruit until it's 80
• Annual production - 50-200 fruits per tree.
• Fruit requires about a year to develop and are produce regularly throughout the year.

COUNTRIES OR PEOPLE THAT EAT COCONUTS

COUNTRIES OR PEOPLE THAT EAT IT

• The people that live in the tropical climate where the palms grow, eat the meat from the coconut, and drink the milk and the water
• The meat, the milk, and the water are shipped for consumption throughout the world.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE

NUTRITION

• Copra (coconut meat), milk, and water have Hugh nutritional value.
• The copra contains protein, good fat, fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamin C
• The coconut water has calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and vitamin C

HOW IT IS PROCESSED

EXTRACTION

• You extract the milk, water, and oil in local factories.
• They would then be packaged for consumption.
• The copra is packaged as shredded coconut for use in baking

FUN FACTS

• The name coconut is derived from 16th century Portuguese sailors who thought the 3 small holes on the coconut shell resembled the human face so dubbed the fruit "coco" meaning "grinning face, grin, or grimace" The word nut was added in English later on.
• Technically the coconut fruit is a drupe not a nut. Typical drupes include peaches, plums, and cherries.
• Coconut water can be a substitute for blood plasma. The high level of sugar and other salts make it possible to add the water to the bloodstream, similar to how an IV solution works in modern medicine. Coconut water was known to be used during World War II in tropical areas for emergency transfusions.

THE END 😊