Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Jalisco stands out as one of the leading producers of coconut nationwide, with an area of plantations on the southern coast of the state and a total of 2,840 hectares of coconut trees that produce more than 55,000 tons per year.

The head of the fruit and vegetable sectors of the Secretariat of Rural Development of Jalisco (Seder), Fernando Antonio Nava Aguilar, highlighted the importance of public policies to support the fruit sector.

In this regard, Nava Aguilar said, they were boosting actions in two areas: technical assistance in managing plantations, with an emphasis on prevention and pest control, and in generating projects that give added value to the primary product.

For example, he said, to meet local and international demand, local producers learned to combine coconut and banana plantations, to make better use of their land. Additionally, producers receive support in cultivation techniques and phytosanitary campaigns from qualified professionals, with a tendency to expand the impact and coverage in both areas.

As a fruit, all of the coconut is usable; its water, pulp, oil, and even its shell, which is used as a substrate in nurseries that breed seedlings that are later grown in protected agriculture plantations.

Among the uses of this plant are: the "nut," or "apple" of the coconut is used as an activated carbon in certain industrial applications in the electronics sector; the fiber to make fish nets, mats, brushes and rope; the plant's fronds are used to weave the thatched structures called palapas, a common sight on Mexico's beaches; the trunks of the palm trees are used in the building sector; and the coconut's oil is used in the making of cosmetics, soap, cooking oil, food, drinks, and certain antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitic, and antioxidant medicines.

Jalisco has 2,840 hectares of coconut trees, mainly in the municipalities of Cihuatlan, Tomatlan, La Huerta, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo Corrientes. The plant requires plenty of moisture, sunshine, and six to seven years to produce fruits. Once mature, coconut palms bloom up to 13 times a year, providing a year-round supply of fruit.