Hainan is the only province in China where coconut trees can be grown on a large scale. It has cultivated the crop for more than 2,000 years. The total coconut plantation area in the province is about 37,900 hectares, accounting for 99 percent of China's total.

The coconut processing industry in Hainan has an annual output value of 20 billion yuan (about $2.8 billion), with over 260 coconut products developed. It has already formed an industrial chain integrating research, cultivation, processing, trade and cultural tourism, which aims to achieve a total output value of 23 billion yuan for the coconut industry by 2025, according to the 14th Five-Year Plan for the High-quality Development of the Hainan Coconut Industry issued in 2021.

"The coconut industry in Hainan is developing very quickly. They have more than four coconut varieties, including red, yellow, brown and green, with different flavors and sweets," said Mumtaz Ali Saand, a foreign expert from Pakistan working with the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, a coconut research institute.

The province is developing its links with countries like Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Cambodia, to improve innovation and value chains. With scientific and technological cooperation and economic and trade exchanges, "I believe Hainan's coconut industry can meet the quality and quantity of the global market's needs", he said.

The by-products of coconuts have huge potential, said David. "Coconut water is a refreshing drink, and people can eat the flesh. But it also has medical use and cosmetic purposes. Its root is used in Cambodian traditional medicines to tackle diarrhea and its oil is often used for hair and scalp enhancement," he explained.