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3. The coconut palm


3.1 The coconut resource
3.2 Present status of the coconut resource
3.3 Economic and social importance of coconut wood
3.4. Outlook for coconut wood

3.1 The coconut resource

Cocos nucifera L., the coconut palm, is an agricultural crop widely spread through the tropics. The species has been cultivated for 4000 years.

Traditionally found around hamlets in smaller stands to provide villagers with basic products, coconut palms were planted at the end of the last century in larger plantations, especially in the Pacific, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Asia, East Africa and the Caribbean for large-scale copra production (Table 4). Based on their stem height, tall and dwarf varieties are distinguished. Presently over 100 varieties are known, about half of them talls. All plantations older than 40 years were planted with tall varieties. Once these tall palms, which can reach stem heights above 20 m, are 50-60 years old, their copra yield declines rapidly, and the question of replacement arises. Removal of felled palms from the plantation site is necessary to avoid the rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros) breeding in the decaying biomass and from there attacking the young seedlings. When large-scale coconut replanting started in the 1960s, old palm stems had to be removed and destroyed at a cost. Acknowledging this necessity, various coconut growing countries in the Asia-Pacific and Caribbean regions began to investigate the economic disposal and use of the stems, and research on converting palm stems commercially (e.g. into lumber) began. Although inappropriate because the resource is a monocotyledonous plant, the term “coconut wood” has been established for the material from the stem.

The anatomical properties of palm stems in general result in a rather inhomogeneous raw material. Density and all related mechanical properties decrease considerably towards the stem centre and over stem height (Killmann 1983). Other characteristics like high contents of fine parenchymatous material and silica as well as high moisture content. Non durability does not pose a problem for conversion of palm stems into lumber, but pose a problem for putting the lumber into use. Due to its properties, coconut wood is difficult to process with conventional tools (Killmann and Fink 1996). Since the material is also very inhomogeneous, the sawn timber has to be graded according to its position in the stem, which reflects properties and, subsequently, end-use. The lack of natural durability makes its use in untreated form problematic, when exposed to weather conditions.

However, most of these problems have been overcome, partially with the assistance of FAO and bilateral co-operation.

3.2 Present status of the coconut resource

In 1997 the total world area planted with coconut palms was about 12 million ha, more than 90 percent of which was in Asia (Table 4). Major coconut producers were Indonesia, the Philippines and India. The data in Table 4 only include plantations, but not palm trees growing in smaller stands around hamlets (“trees outside forest”).

On average, in 1993, about 30 percent of the plantations in the Asian countries were over-aged while in the Pacific it was over 45 percent. There is considerable variability between countries (Table 4).

The average stem volume is about 90 m3 ha-1 - 92 m3 ha-1 for the cultivar San Ramon Tall in the Philippines, according to Jensen and Killmann (1981) and 88 m3 ha-1 for Fiji Tall according to Alston (1981). In 1993 four Asian countries had over 65 million m3 of available coconut wood (Table 4).

3.3 Economic and social importance of coconut wood

In the Asia-Pacific region, most of the plantations are smallholdings (50-70% on the Solomon Islands, Fiji and the Philippines; and over 90% in India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand). An exception is Papua New Guinea where under 40 percent of the palms are grown by smallholders.

Table 4. Area of coconut palm plantations and availability of coconut wood

Country

1993
(1000 ha)

1997
(1000 ha)

1993
overmature
(%)2

1993
overmature
(1000 ha)

Coconut
wood3
(1000 m3)

Indonesia

3 636

3 760

20

727

65 400

Philippines

3 075

3 314

30

923

83 000

India

1 538

1 886

5

77

69 300

Sri Lanka

419

442

20

84

75 600

Thailand

336

377

35

118

10 600

Malaysia

310

270

60

186

16 700

Vietnam

215

200

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

Rest Asia

64

651

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

Asia Total

9 593

10 314

n.a.

2115

320 600

Papua New Guinea

260

260

30

78

7 000

Vanuatu

96

96

58

56

5 000

Fiji

65

54

43

28

2 500

Solomon Islands

59

59

50

30

2 700

Samoa

50

75

54

27

2 400

Rest Pacific

151

1521

average 45

68

6 100

Pacific Total

681

696

n.a

287

25 700

Tanzania

305

3101

40

122

10 900

Rest Africa

141

3501

n.a

n.a

n.a.

Africa Total

446

4601

n.a

n.a.

n.a.

Brazil

228

2581

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

Mexico

141

1351

n.a

n.a.

n.a.

Rest America

79

831

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

America Total

448

4761

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

World

11 168

11 974


2 524

375 200

Source: APCC, 1998. Compiled from information provided by APCC and FAO member countries.
1 1996 data, in APCC 1998.
2 Killmann, 1993.
3 Jensen and Killmann, 1981.
There are a number of products traditionally provided by the coconut palm, like roofing material (from leaves), ropes and strings (coir from husk), beverages (coconut juice, toddy from inflorescences), food (coconut, palm heart), fuel (from husks, nuts and dried leaves), and wood (from the stem). The main produce, however, is oil pressed out of copra, the dried kernel of the nut.

In the early 1900s copra was a major plantation product, and coconut palmoil a major export product for many countries. The introduction of hybrids, particularly the dwarf varieties during the 1960s and 1970s, helped to increase considerably the copra yield per hectare. The importance of coconut palmoil subsequently decreased due to competition from other vegetable oils, particularly palm oil from Elaeis guineensis. Copra prices went down and plantations were neglected or under-planted with other crops. While the importance of coconut palms as a plantation crop has decreased, its relevance as provider of products for daily needs remains, particularly on remote islands.

Initially coconut palm stems generally became available for conversion into timber once hurricanes or diseases (e.g., cadang-cadang in Guam and the Philippines, lethal yellowing in the Caribbean) had struck. The stems were converted into wood products at cottage level - often in very rough form - and used as a substitute for conventional timber in building and bridge construction, but also for tools, toys and other items of daily necessity. In the Maldives, coconut wood has been traditionally used for building fishing boats.

With entire plantations becoming over-aged and being felled, and processing problems having been solved, commercial use of coconut wood started during the 1970s. Depending on its original position in the stem, the main potential end-uses for coconut wood are for wooden construction, panelling, stairs, window and door jambs, flooring and power poles.

As is the case in other plantation by-products like rubberwood or oil palm stems, coconut palm stems have no costs except those for harvesting and transport. Theoretically, plantation companies should even pay for the palm stem removal, or at least give them away for free, since the disposal of old stems also removes a threat of insect attack to the young seedlings. Thus, low raw material prices more than balance additional processing costs and make coconut wood an interesting timber substitute for certain end-uses.

Also, being a by-product from agricultural plantations established long before the environmental discussion started, the use of coconut wood is not marred by any accusations of contributing towards degradation or destruction of tropical forests. It thus stands a good chance as a substitute for some tropical timbers on the markets in Europe and North America.

There have been a number of attempts to market coconut wood internationally, however with little success up to now. The main problem is that the suppliers could rarely guarantee a continuous supply of certain wood volumes of standard quality.

Since in the Philippines coconut wood is available at half the price of white Lauan (Parashorea spp., Shorea spp. Pentacme contorta), it could become the construction material for the poor.

3.4. Outlook for coconut wood

During the period 1993-1997, in spite of the strong competition by other vegetable oils, major producers like Indonesia and the Philippines increased their coconut palm plantation area by 5 percent and 8 percent, respectively. In India the coconut estate grew 22 percent. It can be safely assumed that in any planting high copra yielding hybrids will have been used. There is also a trend to grow the palms for the production of coconut water. These hybrids are of little interest as a timber substitute as the stems cannot be sawn. In the long run they could become of interest as raw material for reconstituted wood products.

More than 300 million m3 of coconut wood from the tall varieties are available in Asia alone, which at an assumed yield of 25 percent would produce about 75 million m3 of sawn wood.

Coconut wood has two advantages that can make it an interesting timber substitute for certain end-uses. It has low raw material cost and a green image being a plantation by-product. Thus there has been an increasing interest in this resource on the European and North American markets. However, due to the lack of a sustainable raw material supply, coconut wood has not established itself, as yet, on the international markets.

However, despite its international acceptance, its use is expected to increase


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