Integration of Animal Production in Coconut Plantations

Worldwide there are between 10 and 11 million hectares of coconuts. With the marked fluctuations and long term decline in copra and coconut oil prices the integration of livestock and coconuts is economically increasingly attractive. Traditionally used for weed control in plantations so that coconuts could be located, cattle (and sheep and goats) are increasingly seen as important parts of the system. Although there are constraints particularly related to the level of shade under closely spaced coconuts, a number of grass and legume species have been identified which have varying degrees of shade tolerance. Where light transmission is greater than 50%, sustainable grazing of pastures is possible. The paper reviews some of the main production systems and details animal production levels in grazing and cut-and-carry systems. Key areas for future work are: the screening of new forage species for shade tolerance and persistence; the focus on systems of coconut spacing which emphasize wide inter-row areas for increased forage production under high light conditions; the development of coconut multicropping systems where various management options are modelled to maximize returns for the grower, and the increased use of by-products and alternative feed resources by smallholder farmers.