Experts and officials gathered on China's tropical island province of Hainan this week to discuss the tremendous market potential of coconuts and their related products, an industry that was valued at $20.24 billion last year, according to a report by Grand View Research.

Prak David, secretary of state of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of the Kingdom of Cambodia, was impressed by the coconut treats laid out for guests at the 2023 China (Hainan) International Coconut Industry Forum in Wenchang.

The secretary of state compared what was offer to similar sweets made traditionally in his own tropical nation.

Like in Hainan province, Cambodians love coconuts have many local recipes based on the woody oil crop. It's national dish — amok — is often cooked with coconut milk and served in a coconut, he said.

"The forum is a great platform and opportunity for relevant institutions and businesses to talk, share and find solutions and perspectives to develop the coconut industry," said David at the forum, which started on Tuesday and runs until Thursday.

He said that although coconuts in Cambodia used to be planted only on a small scale mainly for local consumption, now with improved cultivation methods and international investment, the coconut industry in Cambodia is emerging.

The Chinese and Cambodian governments signed a protocol on Sept 15, under which fresh coconuts from Cambodia will be imported to China.

The Chinese mainland market consumes about 2.5 billion coconuts per year, while the country can produce about 200 million annually.

The world's second-largest woody oil crop after oil palm, coconuts are cultivated in over 120 countries and regions. The global coconut cultivation area spans approximately 12 million hectares, with an annual production of 56.3 billion coconuts, according to Ma Yuhong, deputy director of Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Hainan province.

With a commodity trade value of around $38.7 billion, coconuts contribute significantly to the economies of tropical regions, particularly developing countries with tropical climates and tropical islands.