News Desk
Once a nation built on the strength of its coconut palms—the national tree that sustained generations through severe food crises—the Maldives is now importing record volumes of coconuts to cover a growing shortfall in local supply.
Data shared by Maldives Customs Service with the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) shows that coconut imports expanded roughly fourfold in 2025 compared to the previous year. The country imported 1,107,804.75 kilograms of coconuts in 2025, up sharply from 273,840.51 kilograms cleared through ports in 2024.
The sudden influx triggered a proportional rise in import expenditure. Importers spent MVR 14 million under CIF terms to bring coconuts into the country during 2025, compared to MVR 3 million in 2024. State revenue collected through import duties and associated fees grew from MVR 23,562.43 in 2024 to MVR 120,723.93 by the close of 2025.
India remains the principal supplier of coconuts to the Maldivian market. Imports from India crossed 1 million kilograms in 2025, up from 247,427.20 kilograms in 2024, accounting for the largest share of total shipments.
Sri Lanka and Thailand supplied the remainder of the market:
Sri Lanka: 21,382.84 kg imported in 2025 (up from 15,779.67 kg in 2024)
Thailand: 11,965.18 kg imported in 2025 (up from 10,244.05 kg in 2024)
Coconuts remain a core pillar of local food security and traditional cuisine, but dwindling palm numbers across the atolls continue to push domestic production down, forcing reliance on foreign imports to meet basic daily demand.
