Coconut production in Rio increases, but still does not quench the thirst of the local market

One of the potentialities of agribusiness in the Rio de Janeirococonut production does not keep up with demand in Rio de Janeiro – second largest in the world Brazil. To meet the population’s needs, traders have to buy coconuts from other states, as Rio only ranks tenth in the production of the fruit. Currently, the leadership is led by the northeastern states of Ceará and from Bahia.

The gap between production and consumption, however, is beginning to decrease. In 2022, production in Rio de Janeiro reached 13.9 million coconuts. Last year, the State of Rio produced 14.5 million fruits, according to Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Emater-Rio)which highlights the fact that Rio has competitive advantages to climb positions in the ranking, including the proximity between the fruit production areas and the consumer market, especially the capital of Rio de Janeiro, which allows the coconut to be consumed on the same day of your your harvest.

Production in Rio de Janeiro had its best moment between the 1990s and 2010s, according to Emater-Rio. But excess production caused the price of coconuts to fall, reducing the producers’ profit margin, which, between 2010 and 2023, went from 1,835 to 628. This was reflected in the fruit’s cultivated area, which, in 2010, was 4. 1 thousand hectares. Last year, coconut production occupied only 1,600 hectares of Rio de Janeiro’s territory.

Coconut: Rio is a large importer

Even with the efforts of Coalizão Rio, a group made up of businesspeople and political leaders from the State, many branches of agricultural production in Rio fall short of demand. Even so, the pricing of coconut water has improved, as have investments in the sector, ranging from the expansion of planting to the industrialization of the product. While the fruit is sold for R$2.00 each, packaged product can cost R$6.00.

It is not only in Brazil that coconut consumption is increasing. A survey carried out by the international consultancy Mordor Intelligence showed that the international coconut water market should reach US$ 2.84 billion in 2024. Banco do Nordeste, in turn, predicts that by 2027, the world market should reach US$ 6.81 billion – an average growth of 18% per year. The data is favorable to Brazil and Rio de Janeiro.

With information from Diário do Porto

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