Coconut Based Products from Sri Lanka

The coconut tree is found at every nook and corner in Sri Lanka has a long history that is intertwined with the Sri Lankan lifestyle .

From our everyday food to delicacies, farm equipment to household items, roofing material and furniture, the coconut tree has been a useful source of material throughout the centuries.

Hence, it has never been a wonder that Sri Lanka is the fourth-largest exporter of coconut products in the world.

The country has been a leading producer of desiccated coconut since the 19th Century and still enjoy a significant share in the world coconut market mainly through the supply of Desiccated Coconut (DC), considered to be the best in the world due to its lighter colour and sweet and odourless quality.

In addition, the country is the leading supplier of coconut fibre-based products to the global market and is among the top three producers of activated carbon in the global market.

According to the Coconut Development Authority (CDA), coconut cultivation in Sri Lanka is a little over one million hectares and Sri Lankans consume nearly 1,750- 2,000 million fresh nuts per year; the remaining harvest is used to produce a range of products from various parts of the coconut.

Coconut Kernel-Based Products

Sri Lankans have a long history of using the coconut kernel to produce a range of food products and ingredients for local consumption as well as export markets.  All Sri Lankan coconut kernel based products are manufactured using locally harvested coconuts at facilities certified under ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, HACCP, and BRC certifications with no animal abuse throughout the entire production process

Coconut kernel based products made in Sri Lanka include;

• Desiccated Coconut
• Coconut Oil
• Coconut Chips
• Virgin Coconut Oil
• Coconut Milk
• Coconut Cream
• Coconut Butter
• Coconut Flour

Coconut Water Based Products

Coconut water has been a refreshing drink enjoyed by Sri Lankans for centuries. Water from the tender coconut locally known as Kurumba or the King Coconut the orange coloured variety of coconut native to Sri Lanka is now a celebrated drink around the world for its sweet taste as well as high amount of minerals, vitamins and electrolytes.  Coconut water is great for quick hydration and its slightly high pH value means it can be used to produce vinegar in addition to the coconut sap.

Coconut water-based products made in Sri Lanka include;

• Pre-Packed Tender Coconut Water
• Pre-Packed King Coconut Water
• Coconut Water-Based Coconut Vinegar

Coconut Fibre-based Products  

Sri Lanka is among the main coir manufacturers in the world with Sri Lankan coir and coir based product manufacturers catering to nearly 40% of the global demand. The country is also the largest supplier of brown fibre to the world with annual exportation of 100,000 mt.

Coir fibre products could be categorized based on the raw material used or whether they are recovered from ripe or immature coconut husks.  The husks of fully ripened coconuts yield brown coir. Brown coir fibre which is strong and highly resistant to abrasion is used primarily in brushes, floor mats, and upholstery padding.  On the other hand, white coir comes from the husks of coconuts harvested shortly before they ripen. Light brown or white in colour, this fibre is softer and less strong than brown coir. It is usually spun into yarn, which is then woven into mats or twisted into twine or rope.

Fuelled by centuries of traditional knowledge, Sri Lanka's coir manufacturers specialise in producing various types of natural coco fibre brushes and brooms with long bristle fibre produced through the Ceylon Drum Pair System, which gives them an edge over the other fibre manufacturers in the region.

Coconut Fibre-based products manufactured in Sri Lanka include;

• Coir Brooms and Brushes
• Kokedama
• Coir Mats
• Coir Geotextiles
• Coir Twine & Ropes

Coconut Shell based Products

In Sri Lanka, coconut shells are one of the primary manufacturing sources of activated carbon and coconut shell charcoal.

A by-product of the coconut-based food industry coconut shell is used to manufacture a range of products for the global market.

Sri Lanka pioneered the process of green charcoal manufacturing or green charcoaling in Asia, successfully developing and introducing a pollution-free method of generating electricity with the pollutant gas and heat produced in the process of manufacturing coconut shell activated charcoal.

Used extensively in various industrial, scientific and military purposes including refining & bleaching of oils and chemical solutions, in water purification, in the recovery of solvents & other vapours, in the recovery of gold & other precious metals and as the main ingredient in gas masks & filters that screen out toxic or biochemical gases, activated charcoal is one of the most widely used ingredients in the world today.

The humble cousin of activated carbon, Coconut Shell Charcoal is mainly used for domestic and industrial cooking and agriculture purposes. 

Coconut Sap Based Products

Coconut tapping for the sap of the coconut flower demands a nimble hand and steady feet and is one of the risky tasks with a sweet outcome.

Sri Lanka produces a range of sweet and zesty products using the sap of the coconut flower including jaggery, treacle, and coconut sugar.  Fermented coconut sap is used to make toddy, a slightly alcoholic beverage while two-step bacteria-based fermentation is used to produce coconut vinegar.

Coconut sap based product exports from Sri Lanka include coconut jagger, treacle and vinegar and coconut sugar while toddy is mainly produced for local consumption. 

Coco Peat Based Products

Also known as coco pith, coco peat is a 100% organic, natural and biodegradable substance that was the by-product of the coconut fibre extraction process.

The possible use of coco peat in horticulture, animal husbandry, and other industries were discovered in the early 1990s creating a global market for a by-product of the coconut fibre industry in Sri Lanka.

Today Sri Lanka exports a range of coco peat products including; grow bags, planter bags, grow cubes, compressed blocks, discs and loose coco peat that is used in agriculture, industries and farms.