INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION
Agriculture plays a vital role in the global economy, providing food, raw
materials, and employment for billions of people. With the world's population
projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 [1], agricultural processes must evolve to
meet the increasing demand for food and other agricultural products.
One crucial aspect of agricultural processing is the removal of the outer
husk from coconuts, known as dehusking. Dehusking is a critical step in coconut
processing, as it directly impacts the quality and marketability of coconut
products. The outer husk of the coconut is tough and fibrous, making it
challenging to remove manually.
Coconut (Cocos nucifera) is the only large plant of the genus Palmaceae.
Coconut is the fruit of the coconut tree and is a popular fruit in the tropics [1]. It
is known for its versatile uses and is often referred to as the "tree of life" due to
the various products and by-products derived from it [2]. An individual coconut
fruit is made up of an outer exocarp, a thick fibrous fruit coat known as husk,
underneath is the hard protective endocarp or shell which protects the edible
flesh. The size of nut varies from 147 to 196 mm in diameter and 245 to 294 mm
long [3].
Coconut is estimated to be found in more than 90 countries, with world
production concentrated in Asia and the Pacific. The Philippines, Indonesia,

India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea together account
for about 80% of the total area planted to coconuts worldwide [4]. Indonesia is
the world's leading coconut producer in 2022, with about 17.19 million metric
tons of coconuts produced. That year, the Philippines were the second largest
coconut producer in the world, accounting for around 14.93 million metric tons
of global production volume [5].
The coconut industry is an important sector of agriculture in the
Philippines. With 69 out of 82 provinces in the country producing coconut, the
industry has a total production area of 3.62 million hectares and provides an
estimate of 2.5 million farmers with employment. Moreover, the Philippines has
over 347 million fruit-bearing trees and a total production (mt) of 14.7 million
(nut terms) in 2018. As of 2015, domestic consumption of coconut in copra terms
was 0.835 million metric tons (Philippine Coconut Authority, 2018). The
Philippines also remains to be the second-largest producer of coconut among the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), wherein it comprises almost
40% of ASEAN’s total coconut production (FAOStat, 2018). Major producers of
coconut in the Philippines include the regions of CALABARZON, Zamboanga
Peninsula, Davao, and Northern Mindanao.
However, coconut farmers face several challenges in the dehusking
process. Manual dehusking is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and poses safety
risks, especially for coconut farmers. It requires skilled labor and can lead to
inconsistencies in product quality, affecting market competitiveness and farmer

income. Moreover, the lack of mechanized solutions further exacerbates these
challenges, hindering the efficiency and productivity of coconut farming
operations.
Therefore, there is a pressing need for mechanized solutions to automate
the dehusking process, improve efficiency, and ensure consistent product quality.
Mechanized coconut dehusking machines offer a promising alternative to manual
methods, providing coconut farmers with the opportunity to streamline their
operations and increase productivity. By reducing labor requirements and
improving the quality of dehusked coconuts, mechanized solutions can contribute
to the sustainability and profitability of coconut farming ventures.
In this thesis, we aim to design, develop, and evaluate a mechanized
coconut dehusking machine. The machine will be designed to automate the
dehusking process, reducing labor requirements and improving efficiency. The
performance of the machine will be evaluated based on criteria such as dehusking
efficiency, labor savings, and product quality. The study will focus solely on the
dehusking of coconuts and will not cover other aspects of coconut processing.
The coconut industry is an important sector of agriculture in the Philippines. With 69 out
of 82 provinces in the country producing coconut, the industry has a total production area
of 3.62 million hectares and provides an estimate of 2.5 million farmers with
employment. Moreover, the Philippines has over 347 million fruit-bearing trees and a
total production (mt) of 14.7 million (nut terms) in 2018. As of 2015, domestic
consumption of coconut in copra terms was 0.835 million metric tons (Philippine
Coconut Authority, 2018). The Philippines also remains to be the second-largest producer
of coconut among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), wherein it
comprises almost 40% of ASEAN’s total coconut production (FAOStat, 2018). Major
producers of coconut in the Philippines include the regions of CALABARZON,
Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao, and Northern Mindanao. Being referred to as the “tree of
life” due to its wide array of uses, coconut is mainly exported as products like virgin
coconut oil (VCO) and desiccated coconut. (https://ispweb.pcaarrd.dost.gov.ph/isp-
commodities/coconut/)
Coconut production in the country increased by 1.6% to 3.26 million metric tons in the
first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, driven by increased awareness
of coconut benefits and growing demand for coconut-based products in major developed
countries, as per the Philippine Information Agency.
(https://www.bworldonline.com/podcast/2023/07/17/534418/b-side-podcast-
revolutionizing-coconut-farming-in-the-philippines/)
[1]
https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu
[1]
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/coconut-market-size-2024-share-latest-trends-xlpaf
[2] https://www.mdpi.com/22237747/11/23/3293#:~:text=Coconut%20is%20called
%20as%20the,around%20the%20world%20%5B8%5D.
[3]
https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com
[4]
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/coconut
[5]
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1040499/world-coconut-production-by-leading-
producers/
https://ispweb.pcaarrd.dost.gov.ph/isp-commodities/coconut/

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INTRODUCTION

One crucial aspect of agricultural processing is the removal of the outer

husk from coconuts, known as dehusking. Dehusking is a critical step in coconut

processing, as it directly impacts the quality and marketability of coconut

challenging to remove manually.

Coconut is estimated to be found in more than 90 countries, with world

production concentrated in Asia and the Pacific. The Philippines, Indonesia,

of global production volume [5].

The coconut industry is an important sector of agriculture in the

Philippines. With 69 out of 82 provinces in the country producing coconut, the

(nut terms) in 2018. As of 2015, domestic consumption of coconut in copra terms

Philippines also remains to be the second-largest producer of coconut among the

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), wherein it comprises almost

40% of ASEAN’s total coconut production (FAOStat, 2018). Major producers of

coconut in the Philippines include the regions of CALABARZON, Zamboanga

Peninsula, Davao, and Northern Mindanao.

However, coconut farmers face several challenges in the dehusking

process. Manual dehusking is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and poses safety

inconsistencies in product quality, affecting market competitiveness and farmer

challenges, hindering the efficiency and productivity of coconut farming

Therefore, there is a pressing need for mechanized solutions to automate

Mechanized coconut dehusking machines offer a promising alternative to manual

methods, providing coconut farmers with the opportunity to streamline their

operations and increase productivity. By reducing labor requirements and

improving the quality of dehusked coconuts, mechanized solutions can contribute

to the sustainability and profitability of coconut farming ventures.

In this thesis, we aim to design, develop, and evaluate a mechanized

coconut dehusking machine. The machine will be designed to automate the

dehusking process, reducing labor requirements and improving efficiency. The

performance of the machine will be evaluated based on criteria such as dehusking

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