The coconut grove in the eastern suburbs of Wenchang, Hainan. [Photo/Hainan Daily]
According to the recent 14th Five-Year (2021-25) Plan for the High-quality Development of the Coconut Industry in Hainan Province released by the Forestry Department of Hainan Province, Hainan will build an efficient coconut industrial system with unique characteristics, well-known brands and strong competitiveness in the next five years.
Hainan is the only major producer of coconuts in China. Currently, there are eight improved varieties of coconuts in the province. The total coconut planting area is 560,000 mu (37,333 hectares) and the annual output is about 230 million.
However, the coconut output in Hainan is far from meeting the country's demand, and China needs to import 2.5 billion coconuts from Southeast Asia every year, suggesting that Hainan's coconut industry has bright development prospects.
The plan suggests that in the next five years, Hainan should expand its coconut planting area and cultivate a group of leading coconut processing companies with an output value of more than 1 billion yuan ($156.4 million).
In addition, Hainan should strengthen international cooperation and expand the planting bases for improved coconuts varieties. Efforts will be made to promote the technical innovation of the coconut industry, expand the coconut industry chain and increase the added value.
Hainan will also explore coconut culture and develop tourism around the coconut industry. An international coconut trading center, coconut culture museum, and a number of coconut-themed tourist attractions and rural tourism demonstration sites will be built. The coconut-related industry in Hainan is expected to achieve a total output value of 23 billion yuan by 2025.
