Introduction
India is the third largest coconut producing country in the world. As per the survey reports conducted by coconut development board in 2013-14 the annual production of coconut in Kerala is 5798.04 million nuts and the state has become the 3rd largest coconut producing state in the country. In Kerala about 60% of the coconuts are used for the manufacturing of oil and the rest for the preparation of food. Copra and coconut oil are the two major products of the coconut processing industry. Nearly 60% of the total production of nuts is utilized for food uses and the rest goes in for oil extraction. In spite of the fact that Kerala has the necessary raw material to launch new product lines, minimum efforts has been taken place for producing more value added products like coconut chips. Coconut vinegar, desiccated coconut powdered has taken place in the application of modern technology for full utilization of various coconut products such as desiccated coconut, coconut cream powder, partially defatted coconut gratings, bottled coconut water, etc., Desiccated coconut is widely used in the preparation of sweets, confectionery, curry preparation etc. At present about 4000 tones of desiccated coconut is produced annually. The main concentration of units producing desiccated coconut is in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa and Maharashtra. Desiccated coconut is not only a value added product but it being a labor intensive industry will also generate a large number of employment opportunities.
