Coconut Farming has a big place in Guyana

Nov 16, 2025 Letters

Dear Editor,

Great indeed it is that Guyana is really pushing ‘coconut expansion’ in the Pomeroon. I read that the “Government is introducing a high-yield Brazilian variety, and at the same time strengthening infrastructure and training.” For me, with ‘more than enough’ land, this is the way to go. The details gathered from my news reading show that the People’s Progressive Party Government has intensified its drive to revitalise this industry with a major expansion programme underway in the Pomeroon, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), where hundreds of farmers are already benefitting from the introduction of a new high-yielding coconut variety and significant State investment in infrastructure, training, and value-added processing.”

I do know that coconut is one of those crops that we take for granted, and this should never be so. At the ground level, we all are aware that coconut is a calorie-dense fruit that is high in saturated fat, fiber, and several important minerals, especially manganese and copper. Imagine this: “A single serving contains significant amounts of calories, fat, and fiber, along with smaller amounts of protein and carbohydrates. While the high saturated fat content, particularly from medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), is notable, much of the fat is from MCTs which are metabolized differently than other fats.” Nutritionally, we can’t go wrong in upping the ante where coconut production is concerned.

Editor, I like this move here, where “… part of the National Coconut Decentralization Programme, will focus on replacing ageing and fewer productive coconut trees with the Brazilian Green Dwarf variety, widely regarded as a “game-changer” for the sector.” Honest, those long, unsightly and old trees need to go. Aesthetically, they are really big eye sores. The switch is so much better as the new variety will mature in just two to three years, compared with the traditional five or more, and will produce roughly 240 nuts per tree annually. Older trees in the Pomeroon typically produce around 160.”

Let me add another big plus here. It is that coconuts are incredibly versatile, with all parts of the fruit used for everything from food and drink to industrial products. The meat can be made into flour, milk, or oil, while the water is a refreshing, electrolyte-rich beverage. The husk is processed into coir for ropes and brushes, and the shells can be made into bowls, ornaments, or activated carbon.

Then how about the ‘once-taken-for-granted’ coconut oil? Now it is heralded, since it is common knowledge that the oil is high in calories and saturated fat, similar in fat and calorie content to other cooking oils, but with a different fatty acid profile. It has a unique flavour, especially in its unrefined form, and a high saturated fat content that makes it useful for baking and high-heat cooking like frying. While some benefits like hair and skin moisture are supported by evidence, other claims, such as preventing Alzheimer’s or aiding weight loss, require more research.

So, with the Brazilian Green Dwarf, it is a double and triple boon. It is known for its sweeter water due to higher sucrose levels, and its unusually high-water volume of about 700–750 milliliters per nut, all making it very strategic for Guyana, as there is a fast-growing global coconut water market.

To date, great progress has been made. Thousands of seedlings have been distributed to Pomeroon farmers, even as many are already preparing for their first major harvests. Then, as the nation has been informed, the initiative extends far beyond seedling distribution. The word is that the Agriculture Ministry, through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority, is rolling out extensive support infrastructure, including the “bed and drain” system, and coconut shredders etc.

In a nut-shell, the Ministry of Agriculture is set to facilitate the industry, in size and modernism, to make very lucrative and sustainable.

Yours truly,
Raymond Anderson.

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Beverage, Brazilian, coconut, Guyana, People's Progressive Party, Pomeroon, production

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