Coconut Oil At ₹430/Litre: Why Kerala’s Beloved Crop Is In Crisis

Kerala is facing a coconut crisis. Coconuts are now selling for over ₹70 per kilo, and coconut oil prices have hit ₹430 a litre, the highest in years. Experts blame climate change, pest attacks, urbanisation, and labour shortages for the sharp production decline. At Thiruvananthapuram’s Sriram Oil Mill, owner Hariharan says it’s getting harder to find quality coconuts. Meanwhile, the red palm weevil, a pest thriving under warmer nights and erratic rains, is ravaging trees. Even as neighbouring states adopt scientific farming, Kerala struggles with land conversion and outdated practices. Experts warn: without urgent reforms, the state that once fed India’s coconut dreams could soon be importing its own staple.