The Chinese government plans to turn Hainan into a major international supplier for coconut produce by 2025, according to the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025). Hainan is to form a cluster of large industrial enterprises specializing in the processing of coconuts in a few years.
The local coconut industry is expected to have an annual gross product of more than 23 billion yuan ($3.6 billion) by 2025.
"China buys about 2.5 billion coconuts annually from Southeast Asia. This shows great potential for the development of this industry, it has excellent prospects," the Hainan Daily wrote.
Coconuts grow in southern China, including the provinces of Guangdong, Fujian and Yunnan, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Taiwan. Still, Hainan is considered the main producer as it accounts for up to 99% of the country's area devoted specifically to this crop. According to official statistics, farmers harvest about 230 million of these tropical fruits annually on the island.
Source: tass.com