Thanks to being an island and mild weather conditions throughout the year and its fertile soil conditions, Sri Lanka is ideal for most of the tropical crop cultivations. The coconut is such a crop, which may be found in every region of Sri Lanka, has a long history that is deeply entwined with the Sri Lankan way of life.
The coconut tree has been a vital supply of material for millennia, from ordinary meals to delicacies, agricultural equipment to domestic products, roofing material and furniture of the people. In the general greenery that covers the grounds of Sri Lanka, it is difficult to find a sky area that is not packed by the towering majestic figures of coconut trees with a crown of leaves reaching towards the skies.
Coconut Palm
It's a palm tree, hence it's in the Arecaceae family. Cocos nucifera is the scientific name for coconut. Coconut palms grow to be towering trees. A typical coconut tree may reach a height of more than 30 feet. Different kinds and types, on the other hand, may grow shorter. A fully mature coconut tree yields roughly 100 coconuts every year.
Furthermore, the coconut fruit is spherical with a sharply pointed edge. Each fruit has a strong fiber covering on its exterior layer. It's the husk of a coconut. Each of these fruits contains only one seed. The seed in the coconut husk has a hard shell and is spherical in form. It is made of meat or kernels, as well as pleasant water. The fruits might be green or pale yellow, and their color varies according to the cultivar and the region where they are grown.
Coconuts grow in clusters among the branches at the top of the tree. Coconuts cannot be plucked without the use of a long hook that runs the length of the tree or by a person who can climb coconut trees. Generally, the lifespan of a healthy coconut tree is around seventy years.
Coconut industry in Sri Lanka
Coconut is one of Sri Lanka's three biggest export crops (i. e. Ceylon tea and Rubber), bringing in a total value of USD 767 million in last year; 2021. The composition of coconut exports in 2021 was a little more than half (51.6%) of coconut kernel products, 31% of coconut fiber products and the balance (17.4%) was from coconut shell products and miscellaneous items. The total land extent under coconut Cultivation is approximately 10,883,77 acres.
The coconut tree has been closely linked to Sri Lankan culture, not only for the milk, water, and oil-producing nut, but also for the leaves, trunk, and fibrous husk that surrounds the coconut. In a Sri Lankan home, no portion of the coconut tree is discarded. Therefore, the coconut tree is defined as the "tree of fortune".
The coconut tree, known for its adaptability, is one of the most significant plants in Sri Lanka, whether the guidelines are economic or cultural.
Sri Lankan Coconut in the World Market
Sri Lanka is currently the fourth-largest supplier of coconut and coconut-based goods in the world. Desiccated Coconut (DC) (since the 19th century) and Brown Fibre from Sri Lanka are very popular in the international market. Sri Lanka is ranked fourth in the international export market for all kernel goods due to the distinctive white color and distinctive taste of Sri Lankan DC.
Sri Lanka is the world's leading exporter of brown fiber. The fiber extraction drum method provides long, pure fibers that are better suited to the brush business. In the worldwide market for activated carbon, Sri Lanka is one of the top three manufacturers.
Sri Lankan Coconut and Coconut based products
It's incredible how each and every component of the tree has some use and worth. Let's explore some exporting products from Sri Lanka.
1.Coconut flesh/ kernel based products
The kernel is the main yield of the coconut tree which comes inside the fruit. It is white in color and solid in nature. Also high in fat.
Sri Lankans have historically used the coconut kernel to make a variety of culinary items and ingredients for both domestic and international markets. All Sri Lankan coconut kernel products are made using locally harvested coconuts in facilities that are ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, HACCP, and BRC certified, and no animals are harmed during the manufacturing process.
Sri Lanka produces a variety of coconut kernel-based goods, such as:
Desiccated coconut (commonly referred to as DC)
Virgin coconut oil
Coconut Oil
Coconut cream
Coconut milk
Coconut chips
Coconut flour
Coconut butter
Coconut Flour
2.Coconut water-based products
The water inside the fruit is delicious, refreshing and healthy.
For ages, coconut water has been appreciated as a relaxing drink. The orange-colored kind of coconut unique to Sri Lanka, known locally as Thembili or the King Coconut, is now a recognized drink across the world for its sweet flavor and high level of minerals, vitamins, and electrolytes. in Europe there is a high demand for this tropical drink due to its health benefits. Coconut water is useful for rehydrating quickly, and because it has a little higher pH than coconut sap, it may also be used to make vinegar.
Sri Lanka produces a range of coconut water produces, such as:
Coconut vinegar made with coconut water
Pre-packed Tender Coconut Water
Pre-packed King coconut water
Coconut Vinegar
3.Coconut shell-based products
Coconut shell is a by-product of the coconut-based food sector and is used to make a variety of items for the worldwide market.
In Sri Lanka, coconut shells are one of the primary manufacturing sources of activated carbon and coconut shell charcoal. Sri Lanka was the first country in Asia to effectively develop and introduce a pollution-free way of producing energy using the pollutant gas and heat created during the manufacture of coconut shell activated charcoal. It is widely used in a variety of industrial, scientific, and military applications, including the refining and bleaching of oils and chemical solutions, as well as the purification of water etc. Coconut charcoal briquettes are another valuable product from coconut shell.
In Sri Lanka, some people and use coconut shells to create stunning and imaginative arts and crafts. It is a non-decaying substance that may also be used as a dish or mug after being cleansed and polished.
Coconut Shell Charcoal Briquettes
4.Coconut husk-based products
The outer cover of a Coconut fruit is the husk. It is full of natural fiber.
Bristle fiber (long fiber) and omatt fiber (short fiber) are two forms of coir fiber found in coconut husk. Bristle fiber is extracted using a unique traditional technique known as the "Ceylon drum system," which produces long, pure fiber that is mostly employed in the brush business.
Long pure fiber is divided into two categories: brown and white fiber, which account for 80 percent and 20 percent of global coir fiber demand, respectively. Brown fiber is made from the husks of fully matured coconuts and is generally utilized in brushes, floor mats, and upholstery padding because it is robust and resistant to abrasion. White coir, on the other hand, is made from the husks of coconuts picked just before they mature. This fiber, which is light brown or white in color, is softer and less robust than brown coir. Spun into yarn, it's weaved into mats or twisted into twine or rope.
Kokedama, coir mats, coir geotextiles, coir twines and ropes, brooms & brushes, doormats, rubberized coir items including mattresses, and horticulture products are examples of other coconut fiber-based products. Coco peat, a by-product of the local fiber production process, is in high demand as a natural growth medium for a variety of plants on the worldwide market. Coir rope and twine manufacture is a home-based business in the country's coastal cities.
Sri Lanka is one of the world's leading coir producers, with Sri Lankan coir and coir-based product producers meeting approximately 40% of worldwide demand. With yearly exports of 100,000 mt, the nation is also the world's top provider of brown fiber.
Coco Geotextile
5.Coconut sap-based products
Coconut sap is obtained from the flower of the tree. Coconut tapping necessitates a deft touch and sure footing, and is one of the riskier chores with a sweet payoff.
Sri Lanka generates a variety of sweet and sour goods, such as jaggery, treacle, vinegar and coconut sugar, from the sap of the coconut blossom. Toddy, a somewhat alcoholic beverage made from fermented coconut sap, is made by two-step bacteria-based fermentation, whereas coconut vinegar is made by two-step bacteria-based fermentation and toddy is mostly manufactured for local consumption.
Coconut Jaggery
6.Coco peat-based products
Coco peat, also known as coco pith, is a completely organic, natural, and biodegradable by-product of the coconut fiber extraction process.
Coco peat's potential application in horticulture, animal husbandry, and other sectors was identified in the early 1990s, resulting in a global market for a by-product of Sri Lanka's coconut fiber business.
Sri Lanka now exports a variety of coco peat goods, including,
grow bags
grow cubes
compressed blocks, discs
loose coco peat
planter bags
grow cubes
Coco Peat Compressed Blocks
Why Coconut and Coconut-based products from Sri Lanka?
Let's look at a few of the most compelling reasons to buy coconut and coconut-based goods from Sri Lanka.
1. Premium quality
Sri Lankan desiccated coconut (DC) is prized for its delicate texture, flavor, and lightest color, and is often regarded as the best DC available on the market.
As a result, Sri Lankan desiccated coconut is preferred for fillings in nut bars, cookies, and biscuits, as well as the sanding of cakes, pies and other products in the baking and confectionery industries.
2. Product variety
Because of the enormous efforts in people and technology, Sri Lankan coconut-based product producers are amazingly competent in Research and Development, and they continue to come up with wonderful inventions that buyers desire. Sri Lanka's coconut kernel product variety, for example, is so wide that it includes of the items listed below, a few of which are newcomers.
3. Environmental friendly cultivation and production
Small-scale coconut farming accounts for more than 80% of Sri Lanka's production. In comparison to commercial cultivation, pesticide, weedicide, and fertilizer use are essentially non-existent in coconut smallholdings, implying that the crop is largely organic.
Because there is relatively little water and soil contamination, the environmental impact is minimized. Therefore, coconut and coconut-based goods from Sri Lanka are ideal for environmentally conscious customers.
4. Country's long experience in the industry
Sri Lankan coir exports reached 2,380 tons in 1853. Sri Lanka exported desiccated coconut for the first time in 1891, with a total export volume of 189 metric tons. By 1911, the total had risen to 14,493 metric tons. With such a long deep in the coconut sector, Sri Lanka's coconut product makers have amassed a wealth of knowledge and traditional wisdom that has been passed down through the years.
Given the numerous benefits received from various sections of the coconut tree, it's no surprise that the coconut tree and its blooms are regarded as a symbol of prosperity in the South Asian area.
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