King of coconuts heads for a golden future

Characterized by its golden exterior, Sri Lankan King coconut or thambili is endemic to the island. In a bid to tap a premium global niche market for this golden nut which traditionally equaled the modern-day saline, the Coconut Research Institute has embarked on ambitious research which is promised to be a ticket in obtaining Geographical Indication (GI) Certification for the much-loved thirst quencher.

BY RANDIMA ATTYGALLE

Traditionally in Sri Lanka, a guest is welcomed with a tall glass of refreshing thambili water. A popular pre-lunch drink, thambili translating to ‘king coconut’ befits this golden-hued nut endemic to Sri Lanka. Thambili is an integral part of many Lankan lives. From being an organic thirst-quencher to a notable base of ayurvedic medicines, this king of nuts even occupies the pride of place in religious and cultural landscape of the island.

Bunches of thambili are often used for decorative purposes at traditional cultural festivals. Naturally sterile, thambili water had been a trusted antidote of native physicians since time immemorial. A traditional substitute for modern day life-saving saline, a bottle of thambili water or even a bunch of thambili was often taken by locals when visiting a recovering patient. Its jelly-like kernel commonly called londha is another edible delight.

Endemic variety

“In many coconut-growing countries, there are primarily two types of coconut palms: Tall and dwarf. Only a few countries have recorded intermediate types, and Sri Lanka has one such variety called Aurantiaca, which means orange coloured in Latin. Within this variety, there are four types of coconut, including king coconut – Nawasi Thambili, Rathran Thambili, and Bothal Thambili. King Coconut is considered endemic to Sri Lanka. Although populations with a similar appearance have been recorded in other countries, they belong to the red dwarf variety. Only Sri Lanka has a well-distributed population of king coconut,” says Dr. Auchithya Dissanyaka, Head of the Genetics Implant Division of the Coconut Research Institute of Sri Lanka (CRI).

King coconut export as whole nuts

GI for a premium price

In a backdrop where the demand for thambili or Sri Lankan king coconut in the international market is on the rise, the CRI is now in the process of differentiating the other dwarf varieties from the Sri Lankan king coconut. The effort is perceived to be a gateway in obtaining the Geographical Indication (GI) certification for our thambili.

GI is an international labeling system that identifies a product originating from a specific geographical area. It recognizes qualities, characteristics, or the product’s reputation that are importantly linked or attributable to its location. GI-certified products which have the international protection are also at an advantage of fetching a premium price over non-GI competitos. Sri Lanka obtained its first-ever GI certification in 2022 for ‘Ceylon Cinnamon’ from the European Union.

Booming beverage industry

Our king coconut is mainly exported as whole nuts and bottled/canned coconut water. From only 2.96 million nuts in 2014, local king coconut exports have risen to 12.91 million nuts as of 2023. The natural beverage industry is also booming in the international market, creating a high potential for the coconut water industry to become a high-value export industry. In 2022, the coconut water market was worth USD 5.2 billion, and it is estimated to increase to USD 20.24 billion by 2030 (zionmarketresearch.com).

Rathran Thambili

“While other coconut water exporting countries use water from either tall or dwarf varieties, Sri Lanka has a unique opportunity to compete in the international market with its indigenous king coconut variety which is of intermediate type. Brazilian Green Dwarfs and Aromatic Green Dwarfs from Thailand are two main coconut varieties in the beverage coconut industry. To successfully compete in the international market, it is crucial to distinguish king coconut from other varieties in the global market,” remarks Dr. Dissanayaka.

The scientists at the CRI are presently conducting molecular and biochemical studies for this purpose, she says. They are also in the process of collecting king coconut germplasm to establish a gene bank to conserve the genetic material of king coconut. “We are selecting best mother palms across the country to go for island-wide characterization and we are almost nearing completion. Following that, we are moving into specific characterization which will differentiate our king coconut from other varieties,” explains the scientist. The project is supported by connected institutions of the CRI including the Coconut Development Board and the Coconut Cultivation Board.

Ongoing research

In addition to the Morphological and Molecular diversity related researches on germplasm conservation which will generate information required to obtain GI, CRI’s king coconut research branches out to several other areas. “We are also carrying out nursery experiments to enhance effective seedling production, floral biology related researches to enhance the breeding programmes and mother palm collection to produce seedlings with good genetic potential,” explains Research Officer, Genetics and Plant Breeding Division of the CRI, Oshan Thilakarathne.

Nawasi Thambili

Sri Lankan king coconut is still largely confined to home gardens although several plantation companies have now come forward to expand the cultivation to plantation level. “The fact that our nuts are largely sourced from home gardens also render it to be fully organic – a factor which enables us to maintain a niche in the international market,” says Thilakarathne who goes onto cite its health properties. “It is a natural beverage high in minerals and is ideal as a sports drink today. In Ayurveda, king coconut water is used to treat renal and urinary tract related diseases.” King coconut water is also considered a dietary antioxidant.

Growing export market

Sri Lanka’s king coconut export market is growing and the possible GI Certification could take it to the next level, says CRI’s Senior Research Officer Nilmini Jayalath. “Ever since we started exporting from around 2010, our king coconut export volume has grown bigger and last year we exported 12.9 million nuts. Our leading buyers are the Middle Eastern countries, Singapore, Maldives, Japan, France, Switzerland, and Germany.” Although king coconut water is exported in value added forms such as in sachets, bottles and in cubes, the demand for ours as whole nuts is much bigger because in the international market, the demand for the natural form is intense,” says the Senior Research Officer.

Wayside Thembili vendors – a common Lankan sight

The scarcity of nuts is one of the major challenges to reach the full potential of our king coconut exports remarks Jayalath. “Local consumption alone demands increased volumes and during the last dry season the nut price went up to Rs 200-250 in the local market. Therefore, to increase the availability of nuts, the Coconut Cultivation Board has initiated many schemes including king coconut villages,” notes the scientist.

Harnessing new technology

In addition to the king coconut characterization studies, the comprehensive research programme on king coconut includes the development of tissue culture technology, and strategies to mitigate the seasonality of production. “By addressing these aspects, CRI aims to not only boost yields but also ensure that the industry can meet growing consumer demand year-round,” says Dr. Nayanie Aratchige, Acting Director of the CRI.

The CRI has developed technology to increase the shelf life of young king coconuts, aiming at enhancing the export potential. The new technology developed by the CRI encompasses the largely untapped potential of king coconut trade due to challenges in preservation and transportation, offering solutions that enhance the shelf life and quality of nuts. “Preserving the freshness and nutritional value of king coconut during transit enables tapping distant markets without compromising quality. Producers and exporters can access further information and learn about our trainings by calling the CRI on the short code 1928,” Dr. Aratchige concludes.

(Pic credit- Coconut Research Institute, Wikipedia)