Coconuts and Monkeys

The coconut is a fruit with many uses. Here in Malaysia, coconut trees can be seen growing everywhere other than city centers. Young coconuts like the ones in the picture above are harvested for the coconut drink value. Old coconuts however are more for the coconut milk for cooking and for oil and copra on an industrial level.

Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. Coconut oil extracted from it has made copra an important agricultural commodity for many coconut producing countries. It also yields coconut cake which is mainly used as feed for livestock. (Wikipedia)

On a domestic scale, usually, monkeys are the ones trained to pluck the coconuts from the trees. The monkey in the picture is one such 'employee' and this is a common sight in towns - of monkeys riding around town after a day's harvest. Picture was taken by Isa Mohd Zain in Terengganu.