By R. Bourdeix, 2019
The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is a Micronesian nation consisting of 29 atolls each made up of many islets and 5 main islands in the central Pacific Region. The atolls and islands are situated in two parallel chain-like formations known as the Ratak (Sunrise or eastern) group and the Ralik (Sunset or western) group. The total number of islands and islets in the whole Republic is approximately 1225 spreading across a sea area of over 2 million km². The total land area is about 181 km². The mean height of land is about 2 m above sea level. In 2003, the population of RMI was estimated at 56,429 inhabitants.
Almost all the coconut land is managed by smallholders, whose land areas vary from 0.8 to 6 ha. Various consultants estimate that 90% of land is under coconut in the outer islands and about 25% for the Majuro and Kwajalein atolls. The coconut is primarily a subsistence crop managed by family members. After meeting the domestic needs, the surplus is converted to copra and marketed for cash income.
From 1885 to 1979 when Tobolar Copra Processing Company was set up, copra continued to be the major export earner. Since 1979, coconut oil and copra cake resulting from copra processing became the major export earner. Copra (dried coconut) remains the main cash crop, though its output has been falling. The poor transport links between the islands, atolls, and Majuro is a problem, as the crop has to come to the capital for processing and packaging before exportation. The price earned by growers has fallen (the price halved between 1994 and 1997), reducing their incentive to produce, but it was still above the world price due to a government subsidy. The long-term problem is that the coconut trees are declining in productivity as they become older and, with lower prices, the growers have little incentive to replace the tree stock. The lack of private land titles and a land market is a further problem. Without land as collateral, farmers find it difficult to raise loans to finance replanting.
Present coconut Seed system
It seems that there is presently no institution releasing coconut seednuts to farmers. The 2016 annual report of the Division of Trade and Investment indicates that the National Export strategy have examined the potential for exports in five identified sectors namely fisheries, pandanus, coconut; handicraft and tourism. So the interest of Marshall Island about coconut sector remains important. In 2000, a small collection plot intercropped with banana was available in Majuro Atoll, but information about the origin of the coconut seednuts was no more available (Labouisse & Bourdeix, 2003).
It is Marshallese custom to associate men with the sea and sky, and women with the land and earth. In the context of copra production, traditionally it is the men that climb the trees and produce copra and women’s lives are centered on the home garden and the preparation of food. Currently all the family are involved in copra production and it widely held that copra production is suited to all members of the family.
Annual Report 2016. Ministry of Resources & Development, Division of Trade and Investment, Marshall Islands.
Anonymous, Composition of the Coconut Variety Thifow, Indigenous to Yap, TTPI. Rangiroa, French Polynesia: SPC Tech[nical] Meet[ing].
De Taffin, G., (1992). Report of Mission to Marshall Islands, 26th February-6 March 1992”, Doc IRHO n° 2426, 12/5/1992, IRHO, Paris, France)
H.L.B. (1953). Pieris Completes Coconut Survey: Notes Room for Improvement. Micronesian Monthly, Vol. 2, No. 4, Mar., p. 9.
Hiyane, James 1964 “Coconut Types in the Marshalls.” Coconut Culture in Micronesia. East-West Center Institute for Technical Interchange and the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. pp. 65-67. (Excerpts from papers at the Pacific Coconut Production and Processing Interchange at Metalanim, Ponape, July 1964.)
Labouisse, JP and R Bourdeix. 2003. Coconut germplasm collecting, characterization and conservation in Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands and Tuvalu. Final project report. CIRAD, Montpellier, France.
Look, D. (2012). TTPI Saipan Agriculture Station. Recent History, 13.
McGregor, A., Sheehy, M., (2017). An overview of the market for Pacific Island coconut products and the ability of industries to respond. Farmers Organisation Network. Pacific Community (SPC), Fiji.
Sproat, M., (1967). Composition of the coconut variety Thifow, indigenous to Yap, TTPI. South Pacific Commission Tech. Meet. Coconut Production, Rangiroa.
UniQuest, Draft Final Report, Coconut Sector Development Study (ADB TA 2994-RMI). Note from R. Bourdeix: report prepared by an expert who never visited the country.
Website of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce of Marshall Islands : http://www.rmimrd.com
Coconut production
According to McGregor and Sheehy (2017), the coconut area in Marshall Island was about 20 000 hectares in 2017, for an average density of 120 palms per hectare, each palm producing in average about 23 coconuts per year. This yield is probably underestimated because of uncounted local consumption. In 2012, the export of coconut oil was 3.8 MT but it felt to 1.8 in 2016 and 0.8 in 2017. For this latest year, Marshall Islands were classified at the rank 11 for coconut production among countries of the Pacific region.Almost all the coconut land is managed by smallholders, whose land areas vary from 0.8 to 6 ha. Various consultants estimate that 90% of land is under coconut in the outer islands and about 25% for the Majuro and Kwajalein atolls. The coconut is primarily a subsistence crop managed by family members. After meeting the domestic needs, the surplus is converted to copra and marketed for cash income.
From 1885 to 1979 when Tobolar Copra Processing Company was set up, copra continued to be the major export earner. Since 1979, coconut oil and copra cake resulting from copra processing became the major export earner. Copra (dried coconut) remains the main cash crop, though its output has been falling. The poor transport links between the islands, atolls, and Majuro is a problem, as the crop has to come to the capital for processing and packaging before exportation. The price earned by growers has fallen (the price halved between 1994 and 1997), reducing their incentive to produce, but it was still above the world price due to a government subsidy. The long-term problem is that the coconut trees are declining in productivity as they become older and, with lower prices, the growers have little incentive to replace the tree stock. The lack of private land titles and a land market is a further problem. Without land as collateral, farmers find it difficult to raise loans to finance replanting.
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| A coconut bunch pictured in the Marshall Islands by Christopher Johnson, 2009. |
Past coconut Seed systems
In 1960’s a Tall variety with large nuts was introduced into a few areas. This type, named Thifow, was introduced from Yap (FSM) in 1957 to replant Namorik atoll devastated by a typhoon. It has big, rather oblong nuts with high copra content (De Taffin, 1992).Present coconut Seed system
It seems that there is presently no institution releasing coconut seednuts to farmers. The 2016 annual report of the Division of Trade and Investment indicates that the National Export strategy have examined the potential for exports in five identified sectors namely fisheries, pandanus, coconut; handicraft and tourism. So the interest of Marshall Island about coconut sector remains important. In 2000, a small collection plot intercropped with banana was available in Majuro Atoll, but information about the origin of the coconut seednuts was no more available (Labouisse & Bourdeix, 2003).
Coconut varieties
The varieties of coconuts in RMI are mainly Tall with few Dwarfs planted close to dwellings. The Dwarf types are used for drinking and for tapping sap/toddy (locally called jekaro). The Dwarf variety is not suitable for copra. Hiyane (1964) conducted some studies on local coconut types and varieties, but it was not possible to recover this publication. More recently, Labouisse & Bourdeix (2003) listed some varieties from Arno Atoll. These varieties are still not conserved in any genebank and there is a need to develop a standardised catalogue of coconut varieties, as recently initiated for French Polynesia.Other coconut-related topics
Coconut is very much a part of Marshallese culture and has several uses, of which the main ones are drinking nuts, cooking nuts, domestic fuel, toddy/sap of the unopened spathe (flower), syrup, sugar, vinegar, roof-thatching, baskets, and handicraft material. The land tenure system in the Republic is unique. Ownership and rights to a parcel of land and its products is based on a complicated system of titles, rank, inheritances and land categories, with several individuals being in possession of the land and the ultimate control being in the hands of the Chief (Iroij).It is Marshallese custom to associate men with the sea and sky, and women with the land and earth. In the context of copra production, traditionally it is the men that climb the trees and produce copra and women’s lives are centered on the home garden and the preparation of food. Currently all the family are involved in copra production and it widely held that copra production is suited to all members of the family.
References
Some of the old references (1960's) cited hereunder remains to be found. It will help to improve the knowledge about coconut varieties and seed systems in the country.Annual Report 2016. Ministry of Resources & Development, Division of Trade and Investment, Marshall Islands.
Anonymous, Composition of the Coconut Variety Thifow, Indigenous to Yap, TTPI. Rangiroa, French Polynesia: SPC Tech[nical] Meet[ing].
De Taffin, G., (1992). Report of Mission to Marshall Islands, 26th February-6 March 1992”, Doc IRHO n° 2426, 12/5/1992, IRHO, Paris, France)
H.L.B. (1953). Pieris Completes Coconut Survey: Notes Room for Improvement. Micronesian Monthly, Vol. 2, No. 4, Mar., p. 9.
Hiyane, James 1964 “Coconut Types in the Marshalls.” Coconut Culture in Micronesia. East-West Center Institute for Technical Interchange and the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. pp. 65-67. (Excerpts from papers at the Pacific Coconut Production and Processing Interchange at Metalanim, Ponape, July 1964.)
Labouisse, JP and R Bourdeix. 2003. Coconut germplasm collecting, characterization and conservation in Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands and Tuvalu. Final project report. CIRAD, Montpellier, France.
Look, D. (2012). TTPI Saipan Agriculture Station. Recent History, 13.
McGregor, A., Sheehy, M., (2017). An overview of the market for Pacific Island coconut products and the ability of industries to respond. Farmers Organisation Network. Pacific Community (SPC), Fiji.
Sproat, M., (1967). Composition of the coconut variety Thifow, indigenous to Yap, TTPI. South Pacific Commission Tech. Meet. Coconut Production, Rangiroa.
UniQuest, Draft Final Report, Coconut Sector Development Study (ADB TA 2994-RMI). Note from R. Bourdeix: report prepared by an expert who never visited the country.
Website of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce of Marshall Islands : http://www.rmimrd.com
