Coir, copra, coconut and cashew are important export commodities of India. From which of the following ports are these items mainly exported in large quantities?

Introduction / Context:
India exports a variety of agricultural and plantation based products, including coir, copra, coconut and cashew. These commodities are strongly associated with coastal states, especially in the south west. Understanding which major port serves as a key outlet for such products is a part of economic geography. This question asks you to identify the main port from which these items are exported.

Given Data / Assumptions:
• The export commodities are coir, copra, coconut and cashew. • These are typically produced in coastal tropical regions, especially Kerala and nearby states. • Options list four major ports: Mumbai, Cochin, Tuticorin and Chennai. • We assume the classical exam fact linking south west coastal products with a particular port.

Concept / Approach:
Coir, copra, coconut and cashew are closely associated with Kerala and the Malabar coast, where coconut plantations and cashew processing are common. Cochin (Kochi) Port in Kerala is a major natural harbour and has long served as an export gateway for spices, coir products, coconut based items and cashew. While Mumbai, Tuticorin and Chennai are also important ports, Cochin is especially linked in exam literature with the export of coir and coconut products from Kerala.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify coir, copra, coconut and cashew as products of coconut and cashew plantations, particularly in Kerala and adjoining coastal regions. Step 2: Recognise that the principal major port in Kerala is Cochin, situated on the Arabian Sea coast. Step 3: Recall that Kerala is known worldwide for coir and cashew exports, and Cochin Port has infrastructure and historical trade links for these goods. Step 4: Compare with Mumbai, Tamil Nadu ports such as Chennai, and Tuticorin. They handle many exports but are not as classically associated with coir and coconut from Kerala as Cochin is. Step 5: Conclude that Cochin Port is the correct answer for this group of export items.

Verification / Alternative check:
Trade and port geography notes often provide tables linking states, products and main ports. Cochin is typically mentioned alongside products such as coir, cashew kernels and spices. Although other ports also export these products to some extent, exam oriented questions have repeatedly used Cochin as the principal export port for coir and coconut based items from Kerala, confirming this association.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Mumbai Port is a major harbour on the western coast but is more strongly associated with industrial goods, petroleum products and general cargo for Maharashtra and surrounding regions. Tuticorin Port (also known as V O Chidambaranar Port) in Tamil Nadu is important for various bulk goods, but is not the classical answer for coir and copra exports from Kerala. Chennai Port serves eastern coastal trade and handles many bulk and container cargos, but it is not as closely linked with the Kerala based coir and cashew industry as Cochin is.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students may select Mumbai simply because it is a very large port, without considering the crop geography and location of plantations. Others may get confused between different southern ports. A simple memory aid is to link Kerala products like spices, coir, coconut and cashew with Cochin Port on the Malabar coast.

Final Answer:
Coir, copra, coconut and cashew are mainly exported from Cochin Port.