Coconuts are the most widely grown perennial crop in the Pacific.
Unfortunately, an erratic world copra price and the rising cost of mechanized cultivation have together led to the neglect and poor condition of millions of hectares of land under coconut throughout the region. Large areas of senile plantations are not being replanted primarily because farmers can no longer justify their investment of scarce labor and capital given the risk and uncertainty they now attach to the industry. The availability of these productive hybrids will surely increase the economic viability of many coconut farms. If farmers continue to focus their efforts only on increasing coconut yield, however, they will remain dependent on a single primary export product subject to an unpredictable international market. Many coconut farmers can increase the profitability of their operations while reducing risks, by adopting or improving upon a common traditional coconut farming practice.