Features

Meeting the national vegetable oil demand: Can Madhuca (‘Mee’) oil contribute?

Published

5 years ago

2022/01/2

by Dr Parakrama Waidyanatha

The President, earlier this year, regrettably and without an in- depth examination of issues at stake, decided to ban import of palm oil totally, and expand the cultivation of coconut to meet the total local vegetable oil demand. It was also decided to uproot the existing oil palm cultivations amounting to some 12,000 hectares. The ‘grapevine’ suggests he was misguided by a former chairman of a coconut institution, that his wife died of cancer having consumed palm oil, that lead him to this decision! The President should have consulted the Coconut Research Institute and other experts in the field before rushing into such a decision. There is no published research evidence supporting an oil palm- related cancer risk.

However, within weeks the government was forced to retract from banning palm oil and the associated gazette notification following objections from the Ambassadors of Malaysia and Indonesia, two countries we import palm oil from. Their concern obviously would have been the wrong impression given, by the ban, to the world at large about palm oil, apart from a possible reprisal by the two countries by way of banning import of garments from Sri Lanka. Imported palm oil accounts for 74% of our current total vegetable oil supply, whereas the local coconut oil production satisfies a mere 13%; and we also import 11% of our coconut oil needs Table 1). So the local coconut production can never meet our total vegetable oil demand.

The ban also instigated ‘Solidaridad’, an international civil society organization operating across five continents, striving, amongst other things, for fair trade and agricultural production that respects people and the planet, to launch a study on the local palm oil ban, reasons for it, and its consequences on the local vegetable oil availability. A report, in fact a book, under the aegis of this organization written by local and foreign experts in the relevant subjects is to be launched on January 19, 2022.

Potential for expanding coconut cultivation

There is no comprehensive study on the actual land available for expansion of coconut cultivation. A Coconut Research Institute study based on soil maps reveal the total extent suitable for coconut including the extent already in coconut to be about 1. 86 million ha; the current extent being about 470,000 ha. How much of that land is physically available for coconut is not known; and even if a part of it is available the question is whether the landowners would use it for coconut cultivation or other purposes. Furthermore, global warming and associated weather changes can seriously constrain coconut growing in the Intermediate and Dry Zones.. A recent finding of the CRI is that increased ambient temperatures in the dry zone, especially during dry periods, inhibit pollen germination leading to poor fruit set, limiting the potential for expansion of coconut cultivation in the area.

On the other hand, of the total paddy cover of 158,000 hectares in the wet zone some 57,000 ha are left fallow.. On the whole, cultivation of paddy in the wet zone is uneconomic as evident from the Table 2, largely because of increasing input costs, especially fertilizer and labour, and poor yields.

It is therefore worth considering cultivation of coconut, oil palm or other suitable crops such as vegetables in those soils, after draining them, and collecting the water in ponds at the bottom of the slope for fish culture.

On the other hand, the potentiality of growing coconut in tea as a shade crop too should be explored, as seen in the picture below, and many tea growers in the wet zone are already resorting to it. However, coconut can be planted in tea only with new or replanting of the tea. Therefore, only limited tea lands should be theoretically available at the current replanting rate of 1% or less.

Coconut as our oil crop

Until about the late 1980s, the coconut production was adequate for our culinary consumption vegetable oil demand, even with a substantial share of it being value added and exported. However, over the years, the demand for conventional coconut oil declined and was replaced by the increasing demand for desiccated coconut, virgin coconut oil, coconut cream, coconut milk and milk powder (Table 3)

So the government must not impose a policy of growing coconut for oil only but promote coconut cultivation and allow profits and demand determine which coconut products should be produced.

Madhuca, a multipurpose but underutilized crop

Madhuca longifolia (Mee) is a multipurpose crop, also called ‘Honey Tree’ and ‘Butter Fruit Tree’ with much value as an oil and medicinal crop. Its leaves, flowers, bark and seeds are used in numerous aurvedic treatments. Flowers are used to treat chronic bronchitis and eye diseases; a mixture of flowers and milk is claimed to help in curing impotency and general debility. The ﬂowers are also widely used in the manufacture of liquor as well as diﬀerent types of food products. Also, the juice of flowers is used to cure many skin diseases. Decoctions prepared from the bark are said to be effective against diabetes. Seed oil is edible and is also used in the treatment of chronic constipation and piles and it also acts as a laxative. Leaves of Madhuca are used in the treatment of eczema.

It is a tropical and sub-tropical tree growing in several Asian and Australian forests and is also cultivated by villagers in some parts of India. Another species Maduca indica appears to be more popular in India, and its oil is also used amongst other things as a biofuel but not much as a dietary oil unlike that of M. longifolia. Both species also called ‘Mahua’ are widely grown in Uttar Pradesh, Madya Pradesh, Gujarat, South India, in three district of Karnataka and monsoon forests of Western Ghats. They flower and fruit by about the 10th year, and about 50-100kg of flowers are produced per season per tree.

Madhuca oil

Madhuca longifolia (Mee) oil has been consumed as an edible oil from antiquity in Sri Lanka and many other countries, apart its numerous other uses as an aurvedic drug. It has also been used for lighting oil lamps. No formal plantings are available locally as far as the writer knows. Fruits from scattered trees especially in the dry zone are collected and seeds used for making oil. It grows in many parts of the dry zone, especially along river banks. Notably, Madhuca has an oil yield potential more than thrice the national coconut oil yield. Probably with varietal selection and genetic improvement, it should be possible to increase yields further. The tree can also be vegetatively propagated.

The oil has a very healthy fatty acid composition, closer to olive oil than coconut or palm oil (Table 4). The high saturated fatty acid composition of coconut has been implicated in the causation of coronary heart disease. In that context, apart from the much higher yield, the high monounsaturated fat content(46%) of Madhuca makes it more heart-friendly in that whereas saturated fatty acids increase both the good (HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterols, monounsaturated fatty acids increase the good cholesterol and is reported to decrease the bad one.

Thus given the limitations of growing coconut in the dry zone, the higher potential yield of Madhuca and its excellent fatty acid composition, it is potentially a far better crop for expanding in the dry zone. The government should take immediate action to establish a research project, ideally under the Coconut Research Institute to study the potential for its cultivation and uses.

Concluding remarks

Coconut cultivation should certainly be expanded as far as possible as it is a multi-purpose crop. It is a major component in the Sri Lankan diet and has a high demand for value added products. However, its promotion and cultivation expansion should not merely be for oil but based on value added product demand and prices.

At the same time given the massive palm oil demand for consumption as a dietary oil and in many other value added products (Table 2),and costing the country Rs 37 billion annually for its imports, expansion of its cultivation too should be promoted, both in the plantation sector and as a smallholder crop. The farmers should be given the option of crop choice given its far greater returns than from tea, coconut or rubber.

A serious concern has been the declining tea yields, and the some of the low yielding tea lands in the wet zone as also unproductive rubber lands should ideally be converted to oil palm apart from abandoned paddy fields. Oil palm is the highest oil yielding oil crop in the world, yielding on average about four tons per hectare as against less than one ton/ha for soya bean and coconut, and giving far higher returns than any other plantation crop. Sri Lanka should target cultivating in at least about another 50,000 ha of oil palm, engaging also smallholders, as it happens in Malaysia and Indonesia to meet our vegetable oil demand. Reports reveal far higher income earning by them and vastly improved livelihoods as against other plantation crop smallholders.

Concurrently, serious consideration should be given for development of formal cultivations of Madhuca both as an oil and medicinal crop given its vast potential, as happens in India. Ideally dry zone lands should be targeted given the limitations of coconut cultivation in those lands as stated above.

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Features

The hard challenge of clinching a political settlement in the Middle East

Published

6 hours ago

2026/07/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

Bruised hearts: Displaced Palestinian civilians in the Gaza.(Photo by Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Despite some sections of the Trump administration persisting with the view that the possibility could not be entirely ruled out of there being a diplomatic solution to the current US-Iran hostilities in West Asia, the skeptic could not be blamed for thinking otherwise. The intensity, scale and frequency of the tit-for-tat strikes by the antagonists over the past few days against selected military targets and civilian infrastructure in particular in West Asia make the adoption of this stance excusable.

The continuing hostilities render the mentioning of the MOU signed between the warring parties in mid-June a laughable matter. While it could very well be that the foes are wishing privately for a cessation of hostilities before long, what seems to be uppermost on their minds right now is to negotiate with each other from a position of strength. This strategy compels them to incapacitate each other militarily to the extent possible, lest they have to concede too much to each other during negotiations. Hence the stepped-up hostilities.

However, even on the question of there being a negotiated political settlement in the West Asian theatre in the longer term, the skeptic could come to be seen as scoring over the optimist. Developments on the ground account for this.

At the time of writing Israel’s Netanyahu government is going ahead in fairly care-free fashion with the establishment of more Jewish settlements in the Gaza and the West Bank, and it’s all happening under the apparently complacent gaze of the US. In fact, some quarters estimate that Israel is in control of some 65% of the Gaza Strip. Ethnic cleansing, that is, is being drastically stepped-up.

Accordingly, in terms of the power relations of West Asia, the world is almost back to the status quo of the late forties of the last century when the state of Israel was established and the Palestinians were reduced to a microscopic minority in the land they came to inhabit. Therefore, even the impartial observer would be compelled to ask: ‘Will a negotiated peace be ever possible in the Middle East?’

The humanist in the observer would prefer to answer this question in the affirmative and it is indeed the ideal stance to adopt considering the staggering human and material costs of the conflict. But the way ahead to peace could be expected to be highly hazardous and arduous. Among other odds, it would also prove an uphill endeavour to win minds and hearts.

The US’ Trump administration would need to be counted out in this pursuit. This is on account of the fact that it has been far too wayward in its management of West Asian affairs in particular over the past couple of years. Given its unpredictable character it is a matter for conjecture whether it could be counted on to live up to its commitments.

Moreover, Israel could be expected to ‘go it alone’ in the Middle East regardless of whether US help is coming or otherwise. It has indicated as much in recent times and Israel could be doubted on this score only at the doubter’s peril. Because time and again Israel has demonstrated that it could steadfastly defend its interests even single-handedly in the Middle East. History bears this out.

However, a durable alliance with the US would stand Israel in good stead. On the matter of military and intelligence assistance, for example, the US’s help proved invaluable for Israel in the past and going forward this is bound to be so as well. Moreover, it is unlikely that the Trump administration would give up on Israel, considering that a strong Israel is crucial for the furtherance of the US’ strategic and economic interests in West Asia.

But whether the above factors would have a considerable bearing on the question of working out a durable solution to the West Asian tangle is an entirely different matter. Israel, as in the case of the Palestinian enclaves, is acutely security conscious and would need to satisfy itself fully that it could live in a security environment that would guarantee its complete safety, going forward.

The Middle East is badly in need of another peace effort on the lines of the Oslo Accords of the mid-nineties that brought the key actors together and helped hammer out a solution that addressed some of their notable concerns. To be sure, that process did not prove to be the ideal answer to the tangle, but it yielded some respite to the region and drove home that one-time sworn foes could indeed negotiate with a degree of success. The West Bank authority, although falling short of fulfilling some key Palestinian aspirations, is testimony that a degree of success is possible if the intent is right.

Given the current realities of West Asia, peace-making is bound to be an uphill challenge. The violence faced in recent times by the Palestinian community, in particular, has been nothing less than mind-numbing. Merciless has been the violence visited on them by the Israeli side. In such circumstances, durable peace in the region could smack of an idealist’s dream.

Nevertheless, there needs to be urgently, a meeting of minds over the divides. The US would need to be counted out as an honest broker in bringing the sides together but the rest of the West would do well to step up to the challenge.

In this exercise the onus would be on the world’s democracies to take the initiative and doggedly stay the course. An acceptable combination would be the EU and the UN. Given their credentials, the main sides in West Asia ought to find them the least controversial.

Even if the relevant institutional and political arrangements could be shored up to take a reconciliation process forward, winning hearts and minds for the peace drive would prove a grueling challenge. Over the past few years in particular tens of thousands of hearts and minds on both sides of the divide have been bruised badly in the runaway murderous violence that has come to define the Middle East.

These badly scarred personalities would need to experience healing without much delay. It is therefore a multi-faceted challenge that is at hand. Since wide-ranging expertise would be needed in the healing process, people’s participation in peace-making, ranging over the divides, would need to be made a durable reality. It will be a time for enthroning humanity and ensuring the rejection of all forms of violence and coercion.

Features

Amazing Thailand …right here in Colombo

Published

6 hours ago

2026/07/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

For many Sri Lankans, Thailand is the go-to holiday — beaches, temples, food, and that famous warm hospitality.

In fact, I’ve been to Amazing Thailand 24 times myself, and was honoured with the Friends of Thailand International Media Award by the Tourism Authority of Thailand for promoting Thai tourism.

The good news I have for you today is that you don’t even need a passport to get a taste of Amazing Thailand.

The Royal Thai Embassy, in Colombo, is bringing a vibrant slice of Thailand, to the city of Colombo, with Thai Festival 2026 — a cultural experience like never before.

Whether you are an avid enthusiast of Thai culture, a total novice, or simply just interested in exploring foreign cultures, Thai Festival 2026 is going to be the perfect opportunity for you to get more than just a glimpse into one of the most celebrated cultural heritages in South East Asia. And ENTRANCE IS FREE.

The festival will be held on the 1st and 2nd of August, 2026, at Siam Nivasa, 43, C.W.W. Kannangara Mawatha, Colombo 7, and the East Parking Area, of the Colombo Municipal Council, from 11:00am to 5:00pm.

Both days will be full of live entertainment, and dispersed throughout with Thai cultural displays, including exhilarating traditional dance performances and breathtaking Muay Thai demonstrations.

Exploring art and craft specific to Thailand, tasting irresistible authentic Thai cuisine, and playing arcade games, are just a few more fun-filled events available for visitors at the festival premises.

An array of Thai products will also be available for purchase.

While at the festival, you will find Sri Lankan Alumni from Thai universities sharing their experiences with you and willing to answer any questions you might have, related to studying abroad in Thailand.

You can also register for the Muay Thai workshop that will be happening on the 7th and 8th of August, 2026, in Colombo.

Irresistible authentic Thai cuisine

Visitors can also stand a chance to win traditional Thai souvenirs, get exclusive photo opportunities, and, the big one — to enter the raffle draw, at the end of each day, for the grand prize of an all-inclusive round trip to Thailand.

Be sure to avail yourself of this exceptional opportunity and add a cultural spin to your weekend.

To keep up with the latest updates on Thai Festival 2026, head over to the Thai Festival official social media pages.

The Royal Thai Embassy in Colombo official webpage:

https://colombo.thaiembassy.org

Official social media:

Facebook: @RTEColombo

Instagram: @thaiembassysrilanka

Thai Festival official social media:

Facebook: Thai Festival in Colombo

Instagram: @thaifestival_colombo

TikTok: @thaifestival.incolombo

Features

Thicker, stronger hair …

Published

6 hours ago

2026/07/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

Hair fall, in this heat, can be so frustrating, and noticing a thin patch is even more worrying. The good news is … yes, with a little care and kitchen ingredients, you can nourish your scalp and support healthy regrowth.

Try these four easy home remedies … even our grandmothers trusted:

* Coconut Oil and Curry Leaves Tonic:

Warm 04 tablespoons of coconut oil, with a handful of curry leaves, till the leaves turn black. Cool, strain, and massage into scalp 02-03 times a week. Leave for 01 hour, or overnight.

Why:

Coconut oil deeply nourishes, while curry leaves help strengthen roots and add shine.

* Onion Juice for Spot Treatment:

With cotton, dab the juice of 01 small onion, directly on the thin/bald patches. Leave for 20-30 minutes, and then wash with a mild shampoo. Use twice a week.

Why:

Rich in sulfur, onion juice helps boost blood circulation to the scalp.

* Aloe Vera and Castor Oil Mask:

Mix 02 tablespoons of fresh aloe vera gel and 01 tablespoon castor oil and apply to the scalp, focusing on thinning areas. Leave for 45 minutes, and then rinse with cool water.

Why:

Aloe vera soothes the scalp, while castor oil coats hair to make it look thicker.

* Fenugreek and Curd Strengthening Pack:

You will need 02 tablespoons fenugreek seeds, soaked overnight, and 02 tablespoons plain curd.

Grind to a paste, apply to scalp for 30 minutes, and then wash.

Why:

Fenugreek strengthens strands and reduces breakage.

Extra Tips for Healthy Hair:

Avoid tight hairstyles that pull on the scalp.

Eat iron and protein rich foods: greens, dhal, eggs, fish.

Use lukewarm water, not hot.

Be gentle when brushing and drying.