Dwarf versus Tall Coconut Palm Trees in Thailand

Currently, the predominating coconut palm tree strand worldwide are the tall varieties, which account for more than 80% of the global coconut output. Nevertheless, dwarf varieties tend to be more productive than tall ones. Not only do they start yielding fruit sooner, but also dwarf palm trees produce more coconuts overall. Nevertheless, the coconuts from dwarf palm trees tend to be somewhat smaller, six to twelve inches in length, than those from tall palm trees. Similarly, dwarf palm trees tend to be autogamous or self-pollinators, whereas tall palm trees are mainly cross pollinators. This means that dwarf palm trees do not depend on small insects, such as bees or butterflies, to start their productive and reproductive cycles. Furthermore, in the case of dwarf palm trees, they produce a wider variety of coconuts in shades of orange, green, yellow, and brown. The average growing period for coconuts to mature fully tends to be between six and twelve months, somewhat shorter in dwarf palm trees and longer in tall ones.

Dwarf palm trees produce coconuts by bunches on the sides of the trunk. An average dwarf palm tree can yield up to 40 coconuts per bunch and more than one bunch every month. A conservative estimate of 18 bunches per year, which is 1.5 per month, would then yield some 720 coconuts annually. During the peak production ages of a dwarf palm tree, this number can go up to 1000 coconuts annually. On average, this level of production is higher than those of tall palm tree varieties. This article explores the status of agribusiness is Thailand, one of the largest coconuts producers in the world.

Dwarf versus Tall Coconut Palm Trees in Thailand

The Kingdom of Thailand is a mid-sized country located in Southeast Asia. Geographically, plains and plateaus alongside some mountainous formations and more than 3.200 kilometers of coastline dominate Thailand. Currently, the country has a total territory of little over 513.000 square kilometers, which is somewhat larger than twice the state of Wyoming. Similarly, Thailand has a total population of approximately 68 million citizens, most of which live in an urban setting, notably the capital city of Bangkok with almost 10 million inhabitants. The country’s annual gross domestic product (GDP) is about US$1 trillion and it has experienced positive economic growth in recent years. Nevertheless, Thailand’s economy is highly dependent on international trade, tourism, and services. The national economy is divided into 9% agriculture, 36% manufacturing, and 55% services. Similarly, the agricultural industry employs 32% of the national labor force, while manufacturing employs 17% and services employ another 51%. Meanwhile, the agriculture industry utilizes 41% of the national territory, while another 37% is forested.

In terms of natural resources, Thailand has tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, and arable land. Within manufacturing, the domestic industry is focused on textiles, agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, jewelry, electric appliances, computers, integrated circuits, furniture, plastics, automobiles, agricultural machinery, and air conditioning. Meanwhile, the country’s agricultural industry has as main products rice, cassava, tapioca, rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, palm oil, pineapple, livestock, and fish products. In terms of trade, Thailand is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its main partners are China, the United States, Japan, and Malaysia, amongst others.

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