The Maldives Customs Service (MCS) has revealed that the amount of coconut imported to the Maldives in the past three months of 2023 has increased significantly compared to the amount imported in the past five years.
The Maldives has imported coconuts during the holy month of Ramadan due to the recent increase in coconut prices in the market. As such, State Trading Organisation (STO) and other businesses have brought a shipment of coconuts and sold them at cheaper prices.
The statistics of MCS show that 15.8 tonnes of coconut were imported to the Maldives during the past five years from 2018-2022. However, import of coconut in the first three months of this year, January, February and March, saw a significant increase.
The statistics show that 240 tonnes of coconut were imported in the first three months of this year, which is 15 times more than the total amount of coconut imported in the past five years. The main reason for the increase in coconut imports was the unavailability of coconut in the country, soaring prices, and the lack of available coconut palms in the country.
The government is currently making efforts to address the difficulty in obtaining coconuts in the country. As such, the government has imported 5,000 coconut palms from India this year. However, this issue cannot be done by the government alone and will require the cooperation and assistance of local councils, private associations and individuals.