Treasure Island Magazine VOL - 03 ISSUE 10

VOL - 03 ISSUE 10

Effects of climate change: Mitigation and improving coconut yield 22 PAGE

Role of Coconut Development 14 Authority PAGE

CDA laboratory’s contribution towards the future of SL coconut industry 20 PAGE

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F E AT U R E S

VOL - 03 ISSUE 10

CONTENTS

14

16

HAVING THE VISION OF “COCONUT INDUSTRY TO BE THE HIGHEST CONTRIBUTOR TO GDP FROM TREE CROP SECTOR & GLOBAL LEADER IN PRODUCT-MARKET DIVERSIFICATION”, COCONUT DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY HAS ACHIEVED THE HIGHEST EXPORT REVENUE FROM THE EXPORT OF COCONUT & COCONUT RELATED PRODUCTS IN YEAR 2018, IN THE HISTORY OF THE COCONUT INDUSTRY.

COCONUT IS ONE OF THE MAJOR PLANTATION CROP IN SRI LANKA WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR APPROXIMATELY 12% OF ALL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE IN SRI LANKA. TOTAL LAND AREA UNDER CULTIVATION IS 1,088,377 ACRES AND ABOUT 2,800 MILLION NUTS ARE PRODUCED PER YEAR.

AN OVERVIEW OF COCONUT ROLE OF COCONUT DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY EXPORT MARKET SRI LANKA

20

CDA LABORATORY’S CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE FUTURE OF SL COCONUT INDUSTRY

22

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE: MITIGATION AND IMPROVING COCONUT YIELD

COCONUT BASED PRODUCTS ARE ONE OF THE MAIN SOURCES OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE FOR SRI LANKA, AND THE ISLAND NATION IS ALSO THE WORLD’S FIFTH LARGEST COCONUT PRODUCER WITH A NET HARVEST AROUND 3,000 MILION NUTS PER ANNUM.

AN OPENED COCONUT INFLORESCENCE TAKES ABOUT 10 – 11 MONTHS TO BECOME FULLY MATURED NUTS READY FOR HARVESTING.AN INFLORESCENCE PROCEEDS ABOUT 25 – 28 MONTH DEVELOPMENT PERIOD PRIOR TO ITS OPENING AND THUS HAVING A TOTAL DEVELOPMENT CYCLE OF ABOUT 35 – 38 MONTHS.

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COCONUT TREE IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS “TREE OF LIFE” AS WELL AS “KALPAWRUKSHA” IT PROVIDES LIVELIHOOD TO BILLIONS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD. THE COCONUT SECTOR IS THE MAIN PLANTATION CROP IN THE PLANTATION INDUSTRY OF SRI LANKA AND IT HAS CONTRIBUTED AROUND 1.4 % OF THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCTION (GDP).

THE COLONIALS. THE FIRST RECORDED CULTIVATION OF COCONUT WAS DONE TWO MILLENNIA AGO BETWEEN KALUTARA AND BERUWALA. WITH A HISTORY GOING SO FAR BACK, IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT THIS WONDROUS PALM IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR CULTURE.

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EMERGING OF INNOVATIVE COCOLAND - ‘THE KING METHOD AS CONCRETE OF COCONUTS’ BED NURSERY IN POLY BAG THE COCONUT IS NOT BY ANY MEANS A NEW ARRIVAL TO THIS LAND. IT HAS A SEEDLING PRODUCTION HISTORY IN THIS COUNTRY THAT PREDATES

HAYLEYS ECO SOLUTIONS

ECO SOLUTIONS IS ONE OF SRI LANKA’S LEADING MANUFACTURERS OF VALUE ADDED COCONUT FIBRE BASED PRODUCTS. EXPORTING A WIDE ARRAY OF PRODUCTS TO OVER 70 COUNTRIES ACROSS THE WORLD, THE SECTORS COMPETITIVE EDGE IS BASED ON ITS GLOBAL REPUTATION FOR QUALITY, INNOVATION AND TAILOR MADE SOLUTIONS.

HERE ARE 6 REASONS WHY MAGGI REAL COCONUT MILK POWDER IS A MUST-HAVE IN YOUR KITCHEN

F E AT U R E S

VOL - 03 ISSUE 10

CONTENTS

44

62

TROPICOIR LANKA EXCELS IN SUSTAINABLE COCO SOLUTIONS

NELNA MANGOES

48

MINISTER VISITS NEW COCONUT TRIANGLE

ECONUTRENA BY JAINDI EXPORTS (PVT) LTD NUTRIENT-RICH, ORGANIC, AND GMO FREE PREMIUM COCONUT PRODUCTS

52

YOUR KITCHEN PARTNER

IN TODAY’S BUSY LIFESTYLES AND THAT FAMILIAR ‘NOT-ENOUGH-HOURS-IN-A-DAY’ FEELING, THE MERE IDEA OF SCRAPING AND DRAWING COCONUT MILK DRIVES US IN A TIZZY.

66 68

ELLA STREET FOOD FIESTA 2019

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ELYON HOTELS TO LAUNCH ‘ELYON COLOMBO’ DELIVERING NEW AGE IN HOSPITALITY FOR THE BUSINESS TRAVELLER

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HAMOOS TRAVELS BRINGS OVER 1250 TOURISTS

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SRI LANKAN “BLACK GOLD” – ACTIVATED CARBON

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SITA ABDUCTED?

SRI LANKA TOURISM PROMOTION BUREAU HOSTS NETWORKING SESSION FOR TRAVEL BLOGGERS

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76-78

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PLAIN SAILING

NEWS

PRODUCTION AND ADVERTISING GLOBAL MEDIA HOLDINGS (PVT) LIMITED 395/7, School Avenue, Pannipitiya, Thalawathugoda, Sri Lanka Marketing: (+94) 77 3 688 912, (+94) 77 3 688 911 Email: info@treasureisland.lk | www.treasureisland.lk OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN SRI LANKA THE TREASURE ISLAND ARE THOSE OF WRITERS, AND MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE THE VIEW OF GLOBAL MEDIA HOLDING (PVT) LIMITED OR ITS EMPLOYEES. READERSHIP IS ADVISED TO SEEK ADVICE FROM SPECIALISTS BEFORE ACTING ON INFORMATION PUBLISHED IN THE MAGAZINE

COCONUT INDUSTRY / R O L E

OF COCONUT DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

ROLE OF COCONUT DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

H

aving the vision of “Coconut Industry to be the highest contributor to GDP from tree crop sector & global leader in product-market diversification”, Coconut Development Authority has achieved the highest export revenue from the export of coconut & coconut related products in year 2018, in the history of the coconut industry. In 2015 & 2016 it was observed that yield was surpassing 3000 million nuts & it is planned to achieve 3100 million nuts in 2022 aligning with National Export Strategic Plan of the government. According to that Coconut Development Authority has set a target of achieving a USD 1.4 billion export revenue by the year 2022.

Coconut Development Authority has powers for direct operational functions and responsibilities of supervision, development and facilitation of the industrial processing and that involves small, medium and large scale of industries.

Even though there are various issues in the coconut related product manufacturing, industry displayed a special growth in coconut kernel

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TREASUREISLAND.LK / VOL - 03 ISSUE 10

related products such as virgin coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut cream and coconut milk powder.

Hence as a whole we can be happy with the progress achieved in the past four years. Also we were able to start exporting Coconut flour and coconut butter since 2015 which were not exported previously.

H.K. UDAYA RUPASINGHE Chairman Coconut Development Authority

Coconuts are known for their versatility of uses and coconut based products are categorized under 3 main categories and they are, kernel products, fiber products and shell products. Coconut oil, Virgin coconut oil, Desiccated coconut, coconut cream, coconut milk and coconut milk powder are the main items under kernel products. Mattress fiber, bristle fiber and twisted fiber come under fiber products and activated carbon and charcoal are categorized under shell products.

The inner flesh of the mature seed, and the coconut milk extracted from it, forms a regular part of the diets. Mature, ripe coconuts can be processed for oil. MCT (Medium Chain Triglycerides) derived from coconut oil is well known for its health benefits such as fast energy source and less likely to be stored as fat. By consuming coconut oil which contains more than 60% of MCT can

help for weight loss and reduce risk of heart disease. Oil dried from copra is commonly used in cooking as well as in soaps and cosmetics. The hard shell, and coir from the fibrous husk also produce value added items to the industry and also make a variety of products for furnishing and decorating.

For the betterment of the industry, the main 3 divisions of the Coconut Development Authority which are Processing Development, Marketing Development & Research and Quality control & quality assurance are involved in an extreme service. Arranging training & awareness programs for stakeholders, introducing new technologies to increase the productivity of mills, registration of millers & exporters, assisting manufactures in implementing & obtaining quality certificate systems such as HACCP and ISO, providing financial assistance for millers, doing market researches, providing testing facilities, conducting coconut auction, providing market information & taking exporters for international trade fairs are some of the services given by Coconut Development Authority.

The inner flesh of the mature seed, and the coconut milk extracted from it, forms a regular part of the diets. Mature, ripe coconuts can be processed for oil.

MCT (Medium Chain Triglycerides) derived from coconut oil is well known for its health benefits such as fast energy source and less likely to be stored as fat. By consuming coconut oil which contains more than 60% of MCT can help for weight loss and reduce risk of heart disease. Oil dried from copra is commonly used in cooking as well as in soaps and cosmetics.

In addition to that, the marketing role of the Coconut Development Authority is more significant.

Marketing division of Coconut Development Authority involves in maintaining a reasonable farm gate price for fresh nuts and currently works with Ministry of Plantation industry for obtaining approval for “Ceylon Coconut� label which is supposed to be pasted on Sri Lankan coconut based exports which will help in distinguishing Ceylon coconut exports from others and through this, higher global demand is expected.

Apart to that, marketing division of Coconut Development Authority engage in arranging arbitration meetings with a view to resolving foreign and local claims in order to maintain good relationships with international buyers.

In conclusion, I would like to mention that Coconut Development Authority is always keen to provide necessary support for the development of the coconut industry, going beyond the limitations even.

TREASUREISLAND.LK / VOL - 03 ISSUE 10

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COCONUT INDUSTRY / A N

OVERVIEW OF COCONUT EXPORT MARKET SRI LANKA

AN OVERVIEW OF COCONUT EXPORT MARKET SRI LANKA

C

Coconut is one of the major plantation crop in Sri Lanka which accounts for approximately 12% of all agricultural produce in Sri Lanka. Total land area under cultivation is 1,088,377 acres and about 2,800 million nuts are produced per year. The coconut industry is an important source of foreign exchange and employment generation for Sri Lanka, and an essential component of Sri Lankan cuisine, nutrition and rural livelihood. Sri Lanka being rich in coconut plantation has paved the way to establish many industries based on coconut. Coconut based products are from the Kernel, Shell, Husk, and fibber based. Coconut development authority is a government owned organization established under the Coconut development act providing governance, guidelines, technology, approval for projects & programs, facilitation of the industrial processing and assisting to manufacture and to provide market opportunities for coconut products.

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TREASUREISLAND.LK / VOL - 03 ISSUE 10

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COCONUT INDUSTRY / A N

OVERVIEW OF COCONUT EXPORT MARKET SRI LANKA

The objective of the Coconut Development Authority is to contribute towards economic growth of our motherland & uplift the quality of the communities engaged in the Coconut Industry in Sri Lanka. Finally, CDA target is to earn US $ 1.4 billion in 2022.

At present the main contributing factor for farm-gate nut prices are the prices of kernel-based products such as coconut oil, desiccated coconut and the substitute oil prices.

Having improved the traditional coconut products such as Desiccated coconut and coconut oil is not enough to achieve the long term objectives.

It is necessary to identify the trends of demand in the global market and industrialists and exporters should get in to these new ventures in order to increase the export revenue. Coconut production in the country shown steep fluctuations due to prevailed climatic conditions. Even though national average coconut production is around 2,800 million nuts, in 2017 recorded yield was 2,450 million. However, with the favourable climatic situation, nut yield increased to 2,623 million nuts in 2018 and Coconut Research Institute has forecasted coconut production will reach, 2, 828(January - December) million nuts in 2019. In the history of the coconut industry, the highest export earnings from the export of coconut and coconut based products in 2018, was about 95,000 million rupees. This is a significant achievement of the coconut industry even under the low yield conditions of the recent past (2017 and 2018). In general, the export revenue indicates an upward trend of global demand for different Coconut Products. Industrialists and exporters should move beyond the traditional way of thinking should be given to the coconut industry which is most advantageous to Sri Lanka, particularly in identifying the global market demand trends. Europe is the biggest importer of Coconut oil and accounts for nearly 0.7 million tons of it with the USA trailing immediately behind importing approximately 0.6 million tons of Coconut annually.

2018 EXPORT PERFORMANCE COMPARED TO 2014 Product

2014 (MT)

2018(MT)

Percentage of Change (%)

Virgin Coconut Oil

7,278

12,006

65

Coconut Milk

15,491

33,878

119

Coconut Cream

1,923

9,782

409

Coconut Milk Powder

5,835

6,989

20

King Coconut (Mn Nuts)

2.0

5.9

195

Coconut Water

767

5,047

558

Coconut base Arrack (Ltr)

18,161

36,899

103

Vinegar (Ltr)

33,505

62,521

87

Moulded coir products for use in Horticulture

54,747

106,861

95

Coconut Shell Pieces & Flour

486

767

58

Coconut Flour (From 2015)

256

1670

552

Coconut Butter (From 2015)

19

54

184

Source: Sri Lanka Customs

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US $ 1.4 billion in 2022. At present the main contributing factor for farm-gate nut prices are the prices of kernel-based products such as coconut oil, desiccated coconut and the substitute oil prices.

Coconut Industry is hailed as the third largest net foreign exchange earner and one of the largest contributors towards the Gross Domestic Product of Our Nation. It has been performing by contributing to the country’s GDP is 0.6%. As there is no restriction on the export of coconuts, can be proposes to promote exports and Formulate a policy framework for the coconut industry of Sri Lanka to meet new challenges.

The other strategies that should be adopted are: 1. Allow export fresh nut without restrictions 2. Allow industries to produce value - added products for export without restrictions The objective of the Coconut Development Authority is to contribute towards economic growth of our motherland & uplift the quality of the communities engaged in the Coconut Industry in Sri Lanka. Finally, CDA target is to earn

In order to increase the amount of fresh nuts exported, minimization of domestic fresh nuts wastage, reduce the production cost of the industry, substituting modern technology and mechanisms, high investment on value added products, promoting research and development , offering prices for the raw materials provided, increasing the access to the new international market - identifying new buyers who want to pay a high price and number of companies with export potential are some solutions for this matter. Sri Lanka needs a solid national policy to develop a sustainable coconut industry in long run. This matter should be seriously taken into consideration in the policy context and necessary steps should be taken to increase the export of fresh nuts and coconut products.

R.M.D.H RATHNAYAKE Economic Research Officer Marketing Development and Research Division Coconut Development Authority

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COCONUT INDUSTRY / CDA LABORATORY’S CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE FUTURE OF SL COCONUT INDUSTRY

CDA C

LABORATORY’S CONTRIBUTION

TOWARDS THE FUTURE OF SL

COCONUT INDUSTRY 20

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oconut based products are one of the main sources of foreign exchange for Sri Lanka, and the Island nation is also the world’s fifth largest coconut producer with a net harvest around 3,000 milion nuts per annum.

Several raw-coconut products accompanied with many byproducts earn millions of dollars to country’s export revenue.

To survive at the international market, it is important to maintain the quality and the standards. Under the Coconut Development Authority’s (CDA) guidance, the food inspectors attached to Process Development Unit analyze the samples of the products in their laboratories regularly to ensure that the international buyers receive only quality products.

In addition CDA’s laboratories conduct routine researchs over the coconut based products in the local market and advise the law enforcement authorities of any adulterated products concerning the consumers’ well-being.

The main coconut based products that inspect in CDA’s laboratorys, 1. Dessicated Coconut (DC) Currently there are around 53 coconut mills in Sri Lanka and CDA food inspectors daily analyze the products of all of them to confirm that those are free of Salmonella virus. The lab authorities always make sure to remove the infected products from the market.

The laboratory analyze the quality of the water used in monthly productions and also provide quality checking services through the CDA laboratories and CDA mobile laboratory for the foriegn buyers upon their requests .

2. Virgin coconut oil Virgin coconut oil has a significant market share with receiving a huge foriegn exchange. It is using in many forms including as a food ingredient, as medicine, and as cosmetic product and etc.

CDA laboratories are capable of analyzing Iodine value that preserves the quality of the virgin coconut oil. In addition the laboratory runs basic tests such as Saponification Value, Free Fatty Acids, Moisture and complicated test including Total Fatty Acid Composition and HPLC. Via these tests the CDA has able to issue high quality and unadulterated coconut based products to both local and international market. CDA laboratories also provides microbiology test.

3. Coconut milk / Cream / Coconut milk based products The laboratory conducts both physical and microbiology tests to preserve the sensory quality and nutritional quality of any coconut based product.

Coconut based product manufacturers registered with the CDA are privileged to conduct their product testings through the CDA laboratories under special concessionary charges. The CDA laboratories are always dedicated to the advancement of the coconut industry and encourage the coconut base product manufacturers.

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COCONUT INDUSTRY / EF FEC T S OF C L I M ATE C HAN GE

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE: MITIGATION AND IMPROVING COCONUT YIELD

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DR. ATHULAD NAINANAYAKE HEAD, PLANT PHYSIOLOGY DIVISION COCONUT RESEARCH INSTITUTE

A

N OPENED COCONUT INFLORESCENCE TAKES ABOUT 10 – 11 MONTHS TO BECOME FULLY MATURED NUTS READY FOR HARVESTING.AN INFLORESCENCE PROCEEDS ABOUT 25 – 28 MONTH DEVELOPMENT PERIOD PRIOR TO ITS OPENING AND THUS HAVING A TOTAL DEVELOPMENT CYCLE OF ABOUT 35 – 38 MONTHS (FIG. 1). ANY ADVERSE CLIMATIC CONDITION PREVAILED WITHIN THIS PERIOD WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GIVEN INFLORESCENCE DEPENDING ON ITS DEVELOPMENT STAGE. HOWEVER, TWO PERIODS I.E. FOUR-MONTH PRIOR TO OPENING AND THREE-MONTH AFTER INFLORESCENCE OPENING, ARE SPECIFICALLY SENSITIVE TO ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS WATER DEFICITS, HIGH TEMPERATURE SPELLS, NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES ETC.

The first is the period during which male and female flowers are developed and thus the number and the quality of male and female flowers are determined during this period. The above mentioned adverse effects would reduce the number of female flowers per inflorescence which inevitably tend to reduce the number of nuts that can be obtained from that inflorescence when matured. Furthermore, and most importantly, the quality of male flowers would also be reduced under such conditions. As a result, the germination ability of pollenis greatly reduced.

The second, three-month period after inflorescence opening; is the period during which the pollination and the fertilization processes take place. These processes are significantly interrupted under drought and high temperature conditions thus resulting in a heavy shedding of female button nuts and a very low number of set nuts.

The ideal environmental conditions forthe optimal growth and yield of coconut palm are well spread annual rainfall of more than 1500 mm, atmospheric temperature ranging between 27oC to 30oC and sandy loamy soil. Any dry spell which exceeds 2 months will have definite impacts on growth and yield of coconut and above period would be much shorter in shallow marginal soils.

Fig. 1.Development cycle of a coconut bunch with approximate time periods.

TREASUREISLAND.LK / VOL - 03 ISSUE 10

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COCONUT INDUSTRY / EF FEC T S OF C L I M ATE C HAN GE

Fig. 3. A palm exposed to prolonged drought along with high temperature.

In the recent past, major coconut growing areas of the country experienced a substantially extended dry period with concomitant increase of temperature above the critical value of 33oC. There were 24% and 34% reductions in annual rainfall in 2016 and 2017 in Puttalam district compared to the mean of past six years (Fig. 2). Similarly, 9% and 15% reductions in Kurunegala and 31% and 9% reductions in Gampaha were also recorded in 2016 and 2017. This reduction in rainfall was observed not only in coconut triangle but also in all coconut growing districts during the above period with varying amounts.

Moreover, the associated increase of atmospheric temperature above the critical value of 33oC would cause excessive button nut shedding resulting empty bunches specially in heat prone, regularly dry areas (Fig. 3). Those were the main reasons for the marked reduction of annual national coconut production (ANCP) observed in 2017 (2450.0 Mn nuts).

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Application of moisture conservation practices in the field prior to the drought is of paramount importance to arrest the situation at least up to a certain extent. Application of these methods during the rainy season will help to trap substantial amount of water and retain within the soil which would contribute to retain appreciable number of button nuts in inflorescences developed duringsubsequent droughts.

Application of one or more practices given below depending on the facilities available would definitely improve the nut setting during adverse climatic conditions.

• Covering the manure circle with a thick mulch of coconut husk, dried fronds, weed trash or any organic material.

• Construction of husk pits as either individual pits or jumbo pits between coconut rows (Please refer advisory leaflets of CRI for details) • Application of organic manure (either as 50% organic and 50% inorganic mixture or complete organic fertilizer application at least once in three years e.g. poultry manure, cow dung, goat dung, green manure)

Fig. 4.Some agronomic practices that can be adopted to minimize the effects of drought and improve yield.

• Establishment of cover crops in the field (e.g. Pueraria) which will help to trap water and allow percolating into the soil while reducing the soil erosion due to surface runoff.

• Irrigation of coconut palms during dry periods at the rate of 40 – 50 L per palm per day depending on the availability of water source. If water is sufficiently available, increase of the rate to 80 L per palm per day would be advantageous. Irrigation even below the above rates depending on the availability may have beneficial effects.

• Construction of rainwater harvesting tanks will help to retain some amount of rain water within the estate. In this regard, the extent of the land, land scape, presence of substantial catchment area, soil type in the field etc. should be considered prior to the construction and proper assessment and technical guidance are required from the department of irrigation.

Fig. 2.Variation in annual rainfall during past 6 years in Puttalam, Kurunegala and Gampaha districts.

TREASUREISLAND.LK / VOL - 03 ISSUE 10

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COCONUT INDUSTRY / INNOVATIVE METHOD AS CONCRETE BED NURSERY IN POLY BAG SEEDLING PRODUCTION

EMERGING OF INNOVATIVE METHOD AS CONCRETE BED NURSERY IN POLY BAG SEEDLING PRODUCTION Mr. U.W.B.A. Werogoda Deputy General Manager ( CMG and ND) , Coconut Cultivation Board

INTRODUCTION Coconut tree is commonly referred to as “Tree of Life” as well as “KalpaWruksha” It provides livelihood to billions of people across the world.

The Coconut sector is the main plantation crop in the plantation industry of Sri Lanka and it has contributed around 1.4 % of the Gross Domestic Production (GDP). Current production in the country varies from 2,500 to 3,000 million nuts and coconut sector strategic development plan focuses mainly on increasing yields to achieve a target of 3,600million nuts/ year. This quantity is necessary to satisfy the demand for both domestic consumption and the processing industry. The strategic plan to increase yields includes measures such as, climate change mitigation, soil fertility enhancement and reducing land fragmentation andreplanting of senile plantations, managing pest and diseases and minimizing wastage in the household use of coconut.Under the strategic plan to implementing of replanting of senile plantations must be planted by healthy and vigour of coconut seedlings. In Sri Lanka, Major role of production and distribution of Coconut seedlings are being done bythe Coconut Cultivation Board.

PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF COCONUT SEEDLINGS IN SRI LANKA Actually, our nurseries are produced of only two types of seedlings. First one is Bear root seedlings and second one is Poly bag seedlings. Also, Poly bag seedlings have list of advantages compared with bear root seedlings.

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TREASUREISLAND.LK / VOL - 03 ISSUE 10

Besides, early bearing, higher vigour of seedlings and maintaining uniform plantations in large scale are vital advantages of poly bag seedlings. Poly bag seedlings have been producedfrom conventional pre nurseries since 1980s and operation of method includes seed nuts laid in pre nursery beds to provide regular watering, free from weeds and mulching up to sprouting of seed nuts. After, sprouting of seed nuts, they are immediately transferred to poly bag cover with potting mixtures. Generally this potting mixture is prepared in a ratio of top soil, cow dung and available moisturebinding material (Coir dust, paddy husk or saw dust)at 1:2:3 levels. Conventional pre nursery had reported lot of demerits and higher costs of production in this operating system.

Concrete bed nursery has shown huge advantages better than conventional pre nursery. It shows higher germination percentage, rapidly sprouting, effective labour utilization, efficiency of irrigation, time effectively and cost effective method.

Nowadays, main challenges are encountered in coconut pre nurseries of Sri Lanka. First one is that the germinationpercentage of seedlings is lower than the expected level. Second one is the growth of seedlings and it is also lower than the expected level and vigour of seedlings had shown poor performance in field.

Besides, conventional pre nurseries are highly dependent on irrigation and labour intensive in field operation. Currently, drought isthe main issue and it’s due to the water shortage in nurseries. It is one of the frequently faced problems during the last couple of years.

ADVANTAGES OF CONCRETE BED NURSERY Recently, the study was carried out by Coconut Model Garden and

only 1.4 million seed nuts. Hence, Coconut cultivation board (CCB) will reducethe seed nuts allocation by about 0.4 million and the cost of seed nuts is around 22 million per year. So, this sort of massive amount of CCB has to be utilized for development work and reduce the Bearden of treasury.

Figure 1: Structure of Concrete bed

Figure 2: Laid of seed nuts in Concrete bed

Nursery Management division of CCB. This study has focused on two types of nurseries bed conditions (Conventional pre nursery & Concrete bed Nursery) and effects of the germination, growth, Vigour of seedlings and cost- benefit analysis of seedling production. Also, study was conducted in four different agro climatic locations and laid of similar varieties, same amount of seed nuts and in both nursery bed as well as provided similar management practices in each and every location after recording of whole climatic condition and expenditures.

The study has shown asprouting percentage and issuing percentage of conventional pre nursery were lower in amount compared with concrete bed nursery. Concrete bed nursery showed issuing percentage approximately 90% of the total laid of seed nuts. It is the best advantage to the economic viability of the nursery. Rapid germination of the seed nutis a best advantage asit reduces the cost of production and quickly produces seedlings to the coconut growers.

COST –BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF CONCRETE BED NURSERY VS CONVENTIONAL PRE NURSERY Concrete bed nursery showeda cost of production of seedlings of 71.57 SL Rupees and to expenses of potting mixture was 42 SL Rupees. So, the final cost of production poly bag seedling was 113.57 SL Rupees. Currently, market price of poly bag seedling is 250 SL Rupees. Finally, to get profit per seedling from concrete bed nursery is 136.43.

Conventional pre nursery showed a cost of production of seedlings of 90.47 SL Rupees and to expenses of potting mixture was 42 SL Rupees. So, final cost of production poly bag seedling was 132 .47 SL Rupees. Currently, Market price of poly bag seedling is 250 SL Rupees. Finally, to get profit per seedling from conventional pre nursery is 117.53.

VIGOUR ANALYSIS OF SEEDLINGS IN CONCRETE BED NURSERY VS CONVENTIONAL PRE NURSERY Concrete bed nursery showed higher vigour value compared with conventional pre nursery and vigour value is a vital role of coconut plantation management.

Recently, coconut rapid decline (CRD) disorder wasobserved in many parts of the island. This disorder is to reduce the production of nuts and ultimatelydead of palms. This disorder of causing factors was believed by complex of physiological and environmental factors behind it.

But, recently studies were believed and vigour of seedling is the one factor. So, higher vigour of seedlings is tolerated to this disorder, but the researches are ongoing. Therefore, higher vigour of seedling is the best option to reduce or mitigate not only this disorder but also pest and diseases attack and early bearing.

CONCLUSION

NATIONAL ROLE OF CONCRETE BED NURSERY

Concrete bed nursery showed massive benefits compared with conventional pre nursery and we will be proposing innovative methods to overcome water shortage and land issue problems island-wide, production of seedlings in small piece of land,healthy and vigour of seedlings in a short period with least cost.

Coconut Cultivation Board produces coconut seedlings,averagely four million per year. It is produced from their nurseries and model garden nurseries.

Annually, 30 % of seedlings in four million are poly bag seedlings. Hereafter, Coconut Cultivation Board has produced averagely 1.2 million of poly bag seedlings of total seedling production. Coconut cultivation Board is planning to allocate seed nuts every year, average, 1.8 million of seed nuts to achieve this target. Because, CCB has taken anassumption that 70 % of seedlings produced from 100 seed nuts are based on the conventional pre nursery bed.

But, if we replace the concrete bed nursery which has needed the seed nuts

Therefore, these innovative methodsare highly needed on the national level initiatives and sound and strong awareness, training and skills development on concrete bed nurseries should be given to coconut growers and commercial nursery owners.

Compared with both nurseries, ultimately a more profit of 18.90 per seedling will be received from concrete nursery. Therefore, concrete bed nursery is economically viable and sustainable to poly bag coconut seedling production.

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N

National Institute of Plantation Management “Centre for Excellence”

ational Institute of Plantation Management, was incorporated and vested as an educational institute in 1979, in order to enhance and upgrade the knowledge in vital Plantation Management, in high degree skilled operations theoretically as well as practically on grass root operational level. It encompassed certain operational hazards and pleased to put on record of achieving high degree with affiliation to highly recognized institutions. Applicable authorities as a higher education modality in Sri Lanka towards personal professionalism in plantation sector which in all the categories of Staffs included Director, Executives & operational figures in grass root level.

The present Chairman, Director / CEO along with Board of Directors have revamped the institution into model international standards & professional criteria gained would be individual concerned, in any category of rank, and exorbitantly advocates the expertise impeccable advanced educational benefits for enhanced productivity & profitability.

Ultimatum mission and unprejudiced inclinations are results designed by NIPM towards economic advantage rapidly out of Plantation Industry.

ADVANCE CERTIFICATE COURSE IN COCONUT CULTIVATION & PROCESSING

Mr. Chanaka Weerakoon Co-ordinator 0719708664 chanakanipm@gmail.com

Build your career as a Professional Planter

National Institute of Plantation Management M. D. H. Jayawardena Mw, Athurugiriya Tel : 0112798772 / 011-2770232 Fax : 011-2798776/75 E-mail : nipm1979@gmail.com Web : www.nipm.gov.lk fb : Nipm Athurugiriya

COCONUT INDUSTRY / C O C O L A N D

- ‘THE KING OF COCONUTS’

COCO

BY CHANAKA DE SILVA

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T

he Coconut is not by any means a new arrival to this land. It has a history in this country that predates the colonials. The first recorded cultivation of Coconut was done two millennia ago between Kalutara and Beruwala. With a history going so far back, it is not surprising that this wondrous palm is an integral part of our culture. A plant from which nothing is wasted, it provides the people of this country with food, shelter and many other necessities of life. It is in fact among the first lessons taught to children in Sri Lankan schools.

LAND ‘The King of Coconuts’

This once famous life-giving palm dropped in its glory at the time of the Estate take-over in the 70s. This was followed by a spate of negative publicity generated by lobbyists who pushed this once world class superfood down with false claims. However, after being put down as an unhealthy food for decades, Cocoland products have aided in the resurgence of its popularity and image as a super food. Coconuts were recently thrust into its rightful place in the international lime light once again.

Cocoland products hailing from Kurunegala, within the famous Coconut Triangle, are produced beyond the highest internationally required standards. The processes used ensure the highest possible quality of the products and increases its shelf life. The true benefit of the Coconut lies in the health-giving properties that it contains.

However, to get all these benefits it has to be processed to the highest level of purity. Though the country has been producing Coconut based products for a period in excess of a century, the necessary equipment to reach a level of international acceptance was sourced and commissioned by Cocoland.

To ensure that its unique properties are not lost in processing, top of the line machines are used by Cocoland in their production process. Their stringent quality standards have enabled them to sell their products in 58 countries.

Having met all the exacting standards of all these countries have seen this product range placed in the prominent shelves of leading supermarket chains.

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COCONUT INDUSTRY / C O C O L A N D

- ‘THE KING OF COCONUTS’

Manjula Narayana Cocoland, Chairman / CEO

COCOLAND PRODUCTS HAILING FROM KURUNEGALA, WITHIN THE FAMOUS COCONUT TRIANGLE, ARE PRODUCED BEYOND THE HIGHEST INTERNATIONALLY REQUIRED STANDARDS. THE PROCESSES USED ENSURE THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE QUALITY OF THE PRODUCTS AND INCREASES ITS SHELF LIFE. THE TRUE BENEFIT OF THE COCONUT LIES IN THE HEALTH-GIVING PROPERTIES THAT IT CONTAINS.

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The benefits of the Coconut is now accepted to be in the forefront of food products For instance the research carried out by Hettigedara et al in Apollo International Clinical Nutrition Journal has found that Coconut Oil can be used for improving the quality of life of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients (Clinical Nutrition Update – http://www. clinicalnutritionupdate.in./) , states Cocoland Chairperson/ CEO, Manjula Narayana .

Cocoland, Chairman / CEO, Manjula Narayana, when asked about his secret of success said, “I have always placed the quality of the product above numbers. As the quality was always guaranteed, the consumers learn to have faith in the product. This led to the growth of our brand and paved the way to success”. The ability to consistently produce this level of quality earned him the name 'King of Coconuts'.

Gas chromatograph mass spectrometer

Finally, when asked of how he manages to keep ahead of the competition, the 'King of Coconuts' had this to say, “Whatever you produce, aim to achieve beyond expected standards. Keep the quality you produce far higher than the market demands. To do this you have to invest a lot of time and state of the art machinery.

But this will assure you of the product's quality and guarantee your success”.

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ECO SOLUTIONS / H AY L E Y S

ECO SOLUTIONS

HAYLEYS ECO SOLUTIONS Eco Solutions is one of Sri Lanka’s leading manufacturers of value added coconut fibre based products. Exporting a wide array of products to over 70 countries across the world, the sectors competitive edge is based on its global reputation for quality, innovation and tailor made solutions.

The product portfolio of the sector comprises of Brushware, Floor Coverings, Erosion Control/ Bio Engineering Products, Rubberized Coir pads & Mattresses. Reputed globally for its innovative and tailormade solutions, the sector manufactures and distributes more than 132 products in over 1200 variants locally and internationally. We serve the needs of diverse customers including reputed retailers and DIY outlets across all continents of the globe.

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ECO SOLUTIONS / H AY L E Y S

ECO SOLUTIONS

BRUSHWARE Since its incorporation in 1962, Ravi Industries Limited has pioneered the brush industry in Sri Lanka to cater to the needs of the local as well as the international market. The Hi-Tech state of the art production facilities and modern technical capability to manufacture household and industrial range Brushware has provided competitive advantage in the market place to provide value to its customers.

FLOOR COVERINGS Floor covering sector is represented by Rileys PVT Limited, who is a leading Sri Lankan manufacture of Coir, Rubber and Flocked Door mats with a diverse product portfolio. Being at the forefront of creative doormat concepts and endorsed by accreditations such as ISO 9001: 2008, ISO 14,001, SA8000, SEDEX/ SMETA, and BRC certifications, Rileys has gained global recognition as a reliable manufacturer of repute. Its ability to develop innovative products, positions the company as a major player in the global mat industry.

ECO FIBRES With its initial operations at Chas. P. Hayleys in Galle, Hayleys Fibre is a pioneer in producing value added coir fibre products and solutions to both, local and international markets. The Eco Fibres Sector is the traditional manufacturing arm with a history spanning over 140 years. The sector is awarded with quality and systems accreditations such as BSCI, ISO 9001: 2008, ISO 14,001: 2004, and recently awarded the certifications for Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) for sustainable processing methods of latex products from organic raw materials. Our products cover a diverse area of applications ranging from Erosion Control / Bio Engineering, Growing Media, Horticulture Products, Rubberized Coir pads, Mattresses, Coir Twine and other Coir Fibre related products.

Hayleys Eco Solutions No.25 Foster Lane, Colombo – 10, Sri Lanka

Tel : +94 11 262 8575 E-mail: info@hayleysfibre.com / rileys@rileys.hayleys.com / commercial@ravi.hayleys.com www.rileysmats.com | www.ravibrush.com | www.hayleysfibre.com

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Thisakya Design Studio - 0771242408

SRI SHENYS BEACH VILLA Set in Negombo and with Negombo Beach Park reachable within 500 metres, sri shenys beach villa offers a tour desk, non-smoking rooms, a garden, free WiFi and a shared lounge. The property is located 2.1 km from St Anthony's Church, 4.1 km from Maris Stella College and 4.2 km from Dutch Fort. The accommodation provides a shared kitchen, room service and currency exchange for guests.

ST Anthoney's Road 33/2, 11500 Negombo, Sri Lanka

+94 77 19 70 323 / +49 16 244 177 33

CUISINE / HERE ARE 6 REASONS WHY MAGGI REAL COCONUT MILK POWDER IS A MUST-HAVE IN YOUR KITCHEN

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6

reasons why MAGGI Real Coconut Milk Powder

in your kitchen MAGGI Real Coconut Milk Powder should be first on your list whenever a recipe in your kitchen calls for coconut milk. Here’s why:

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CUISINE / HERE ARE 6 REASONS WHY MAGGI REAL COCONUT MILK POWDER IS A MUST-HAVE IN YOUR KITCHEN

01

02

03

Love cooking but lack the time? Coconut milk is the magic ingredient to any Sri Lankan dish, but we all know that scraping coconut is a time consuming and laborious process. MAGGI Real Coconut Milk Powder offers you ways to make that delicious, creamy coconut milk in just a fraction of the time. You even have the luxury of deciding the thickness you prefer; less water for thicker milk or more water for thinner milk. It offers the flexibility to add the texture of your choice to any dish, and provides a perfect base for sauces, gravies and curries.

Taste, texture and freshness is what we look for in coconut and MAGGI Real Coconut Milk Powder delivers on all counts.

Nestlé’s reputation for innovation and R&D is world famous, so it comes as no surprise to learn that the team worked for months back in 1986 to perfect an innovation that tasted just as good as the fresh coconut itself. When they succeeded, the product was a hit locally and the Nestlé Lanka factory was soon producing Sri Lankan coconut milk powder to supply Nestlé globally too, for resale in foreign markets.

Don’t just take our word for it. Talk to any regular MAGGI Coconut Milk Powder consumer and they’ll tell you they can’t tell a difference in taste when using MAGGI Coconut Milk Powder or the actual nut.

Nestlé’s quality processes and technology are amongst the best in the industry the world over. They’re designed to ensure the highest quality products from farm to fork.

Only the finest Sri Lankan coconuts are selected to manufacture the product, and Nestlé’s suppliers are carefully selected, audited and monitored as per Nestlé’s International Standards. We’ve provided a more detailed glimpse into the brand’s quality controls, across the value chain, separately. Take a look.

CONVENIENCE

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JUST AS GOOD AS THE FRESH COCONUT

THE BEST QUALITY

04

05

06

LESS WASTE

BENEFITTING SRI LANKAN SOCIETY

A BRAND YOU CAN TRUST

The Sri Lankan CDA (Coconut Development Authority) recommends using coconut milk powder over fresh nuts, as it generates less waste. 85% of the coconut is used when manufacturing coconut milk powder, whereas only 65% of the coconut is extracted when scraping coconut at home, leaving 35% of the coconut as waste. Using coconut milk powder can help reduce waste, leaving more nuts available for use.

Did you know Nestlé Lanka is one of the largest exporters of coconut milk powder in the world? The company purchases close to 90 million coconuts a year from 6,600 Sri Lankan farming families to manufacture its product, offering them a sustainable source of income. In 2018, its total payout to local suppliers for coconut came to Rs. 4.6 billion.

Nestlé’s coconut milk powder product proved revolutionary when it was developed and launched by the local team in 1986.

Customers and consumers from across the world sought-out the praiseworthy, easyto-make coconut milk powder, as it not only saved a significant amount of time in cooking but also tasted just as good as the fresh coconut itself. The product remains number one today, offering consistent quality, and has managed to capture world demand. It is not just used and trusted by household consumers but also by worldfamous industrial manufacturers, who use it as a key ingredient when making their own products.

In addition, Nestlé also supports an additional 3,000 Sri Lankan coconut farmers and outgrowers with 19,000 coconut plantlets and a number of other resources and support for successful coconut cultivation, via the Nestlé Coconut Plan.

The Nestlé Coconut Plan is a coconut development programme that was launched by Nestlé and the Sri Lanka Coconut Cultivation Board in 2016. Its aim is to help enhance coconut cultivation. It offers farmers and outgrowers technical assistance for coconut growing, resources such as fertilizer, training and development programmes, and free hybrid coconut plantlets that are expected to be more resistant to crop disease and mature faster than the usual 4-5 year period.

It has also set up model farms to help farmers and outgrowers benchmark best practices, and assure good quality and supply.

You can read more about the Nestlé Coconut Plan here

https://www.nestle.lk/en/ csv/communities/coconuts.

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CUISINE / HERE ARE 6 REASONS WHY MAGGI REAL COCONUT MILK POWDER IS A MUST-HAVE IN YOUR KITCHEN

AN ASSURANCE OF QUALITY FROM NUT TO PACK SOURCING MAGGI Coconut Milk Powder’s strong point has always been exclusive usage of of Sri Lankan coconuts, picking the highest quality nuts to manufacture its product. The company works with select mills that purchase the finest coconuts on Nestlé’s behalf from approximately 6,600 Sri Lankan coconut farmers. Once they have completed the initial processing, Nestlé bowsers transport the coconut milk to Nestlé’s factory in Pannala, Kurunegala for spray-drying and manufacturing.

The company has invested in these mills and their workers significantly in terms of training and knowledge sharing, technical support, equipment, and regular audits, to ensure they meet and adhere to Nestlé’s extremely highquality standards.

MANUFACTURING Once the bowsers transport the coconut milk to Nestlé’s state-of-the-art ISO 9001 and FSSC 22000 accredited factory, it undergoes a number of quality checks before being accepted. Once it passes these quality checks, the coconut milk is stored and chilled at less than 12 degrees Celsius to ensure freshness.

The coconut milk is then spray-dried into powder form (similar to the process used for making full cream milk powder) using state-of-the-art technology, processes and the addition of relevant ingredients, which help ensure that the taste remains as close as possible to the fresh coconut. Stringent quality controls are in place during the manufacturing process, which includes pasteurization, to guarantee the highest level of food safety.

Overall, 53 different quality parameters are checked at different stages of the process as well as on the finished product itself to ensure quality. Further, an approved internal panel of experts tastes each batch of the finished product before releasing it to the market.

QUALITY CONTROL The products undergo numerous and rigorous quality controls from farm to fork. MAGGI Coconut Milk Powder is also SLS certified as a mark of its compliance with Sri Lanka Standards Specifications.

DISTRIBUTION AND CONSUMPTION The finished product is then transported carefully to Nestlé’s distributor partners, who in turn redistribute it to retail outlets for purchase and consumption. These facilities are subject to regular quality checks and audits, with quality standards prescribed at various stages of transportation and storage.

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SUSTAINABLE COCO SOLUTIONS / TROPICOIR LANKA EXCELS IN SUSTAINABLE COCO SOLUTIONS

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Tropicoir Lanka Pvt Ltd, is a market leader, engaged in manufacturing and exports of coir-based superior quality products, for applications such as greenhouse growing of vegetables, soft fruits & flowers, home & garden, environmental protection, wastewater treatment and pet bedding. Having established a strong global presence in over 35 countries, the organization enjoys an enviable reputation as a reliable provider of highquality products serving the diverse needs of their clients.

TROPICOIR LANKA EXCELS IN SUSTAINABLE COCO SOLUTIONS

The product range of Tropicoir is primarily categorized into professional products, pet products, and, home & garden products. Coco grow bags ,blocks, disks, weed mats, coir pots, compressed bags, mulch, propagation cubes and quick fill bags are just a few of the wide range of featured products under each of the aforementioned categories.

Tropicoir and related organizations has provided over 1500 direct employment opportunities across the country while creating over 3000 indirect job opportunities within their extended supply chain.

Committed towards creating highest value for the stakeholder through product and process innovation, and as a part of a multifaceted entity the organization’s strategies clearly define commitment to reducing the ecological footprint, and a strong focus on sustainability. With a continuous endeavor to enrich lives; protect the environment and use resources sustainably in order to safeguard future generations, Tropicoir is passionate about its people, planet and processes.

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SUSTAINABLE COCO SOLUTIONS / TROPICOIR LANKA EXCELS IN SUSTAINABLE COCO SOLUTIONS

The organization has also launched many initiatives, as a drive towards protecting and preserving our natural environment while supporting an entire community to enhance their livelihood. These direct and indirect income producing opportunities, not only elevate their standards of life, but contribute towards the socio economic development of the country through foreign exchange earnings of exports.

‘Anagathaya Wawamu’ is one such project of planting 100,000 coconut tress by 2021, initiated to support resource sustainability and inculcate the culture of growing amongst families and children to grow the coconut tree resource, in order to contribute towards the development of crops required to fulfill the industry demand.

Tropicoir Lanka, is also renowned and recognized across the continents for its quality, reliability and service. “Demand for our products are steadily growing with the support of our clients in diverse markets. We are indeed grateful for their continued loyalty” added Dinesh Fernando, Managing Director, Tropicoir Lanka Pvt Ltd. The network of international partnerships has been instrumental in their steady growth and success over the last two decades, setting a strong foundation for the exchange of technical know-how and leading edge product development capabilities.

Tropicoir Lanka has been recognized with multiple awards and accolades, attributed to its high-quality standards, service excellence and corporate social responsibility practices.

National Business Excellence and CSR awards consecutively won each year, is a testimony to its passion for perfection.

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Dinesh Fernando, Managing Director, Tropicoir Lanka Pvt Ltd

‘True to our mission we will passionately pursue product and process innovation to ensure that our stakeholders achieve their goals, in order to realize our vision of being the ‘world’s leading sustainable coco solutions provider’.

CSR is deeply embedded in the DNA of Tropicoir. Since its inception in 1997, Tropicoir has been engaging in numerous CSR activities for the benefit of the community and preservation of nature. Construction and renovation of houses belonging to two employees of Tropicoir, renovation of the Information Technology Centre of the SWRD Bandaranayake National College in Panduwasnuwara, and providing a new building for a library at the Karthana Gallen Viharaya are some of the recent CSR activities conducted by the organization.

As an organization that advocates sustainability, strong product quality and the well-being of people, Tropicoir is dedicated towards investment in new technology, innovation, empowering team members,ensuring value addition from inception to end, leading to a successful outcome for their valued clients. Commenting on future plans Mr. Fernando said, ‘True to our mission we will passionately pursue product and process innovation to ensure that our stakeholders achieve their goals, in order to realize our vision of being the ‘world’s leading sustainable coco solutions provider’.

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COCONUT PRODUCTS / E C O N U T R E N A

B Y J A I N D I E X P O R T S ( P V T ) LT D

ECONUTRENA BY JAINDI EXPORTS (PVT) LTD NUTRIENT-RICH, ORGANIC, AND GMO FREE PREMIUM COCONUT PRODUCTS Econutrena by Jaindi Exports (Pvt) Ltd, 100% organic coconut based food & beverages sourced and manufactured ethically from the tropical paradise island – Sri Lanka. The company offers an expanding & diversified premium quality product portfolio ranging from processed coconut products and organic spices, fruits, Ayurvedic and beverage products to the global wholesale market. Econutrena products are enjoyed by the consumers across the globe in all the five continents. As a leading processed coconut products exporter in Sri Lanka, Jaindi Exports (Pvt) Ltd has a growing a demand from international brands as their trusted supplier. Around 70% of Econutrena products sell in European and Scandinavian countries, 20% in USA & Canada while the rest goes to other countries.

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WHO ARE WE Jaindi Exports (Pvt) Ltd was founded in year 2003 as a small coconut milk milling company by the current Managing Director Mr. Sampath Anuruddha.

As Jaindi evolved, it expand to state-of –the- art facility with Microbiology laboratory, twenty production sections, fifteen filling lines in Dankotuwa Industrial Estate. Today having one of the largest Organic plantation land bank in the country Jaindi process over 1,000,000 nuts per week to cater both in bulk and consumer packaging for Leading Supermarkets, brands and wholesalers above 40 countries around the world.

OUR PRODUCTS ORGANIC COCO SAUCE CURRY - Coco sauce curry is the product which made from Organic Coconut Milk and Organic spices mixture. It manly used for the preparation of curries and as a dip sauce.

ORGANIC CONDENSED COCONUT MILK - Organic Condensed Coconut Milk was introduced as a Vegan condensed milk and also alternative for the dairy condensed milk. It is the product that produced from the organic coconut milk and Organic cane sugar.

ORGANIC SWEETEN COCONUT MILK - Used for the preparation of sweets (Bakery products) and produced by using Organic coconut milk and some amount of organic sugar.

ORGANIC COFFEE DRINKING COCONUT MILK - which is use as a drinking milk.

CHOCOLATE DRINKING COCONUT MILK - which is use as a drinking milk.

ORGANIC COCONUT MAYONNAISE - Coconut Mayonnaise is the product that use as a salad dressing or sauce for any kind of foods. There are several categories such as, NUTMEG COCO MAYONNAISE - Made from Coconut milk and Nutmeg Flesh MACE COCO MAYONNAISE - Made from Coconut milk, Mace and chili pieces

GREEN PEPPER MAYONNAISE Made from Coconut Milk and Green Pepper BLACK PEPPER MAYONNAISE Made from coconut Milk and black pepper ORGANIC VEGETARIAN CURRY SAUCE - It is the product that used for the preparation of curries mainly for the vegetarians.

ORGANIC CHICKEN CURRY SAUCE - It is the product that produced by using Organic Coconut Milk and organic spices mainly target for the chicken curries.

ORGANIC MASALA COCONUT MILK - The product mainly targets for the Indian market and those who like Indian spicy flavor.

CANNED ORGANIC GREEN JACK FRUIT - Made by using Organic green jack fruit and brine solution.

CANNED ORGANIC JACK FRUIT CURRY - Made by using Organic green jack fruit and brine solution and spices with organic coconut milk.

COCONUT TURMERIC CURRY – Made by using Organic Sri Lankan turmeric powder and organic coconut milk.

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COCONUT PRODUCTS / E C O N U T R E N A

COCONUT MASALA CURRY – Made by using Organic Sri Lankan masala powder and organic coconut milk.

COCONUT ICE CREAM - Coconut Ice Cream is a delicious, favorite & vegetative frozen dessert which made of Pure Coconut Milk with high amount of dietary fiber and different flavors.

COCONUT CHEESE - Made with fresh, pasteurized coconut milk, added for extra flavor and creaminess, it’s a delightfully unique cheese with a nutty taste & a touch of refreshing sweetness.

COCONUT BUTTER - Coconut Butter is a food spread or paste made from coconut cream as an ingredient in many recipes, like Coconut Butter Cookies, Cakes It contains less fat amount comparing with cow’s milk butter.

GREEN PEPPER IN WHITE VINEGAR RED CHILI IN WHITE VINEGER BIRD CHILI IN WHITE VINEGER GARLIC IN BEE HONEY

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B Y J A I N D I E X P O R T S ( P V T ) LT D

WE GIVE ‘NOTHING BUT BEST’

WE ARE CERTIFIED

Jaindi Export Pvt Ltd has won the trust of the global customer base through consistently delivering premium quality organic coconut based products & spices. Our excellence is a direct manifestation of the strong commitment to manufacturing quality, ethical business practices and environment stewardship. During the last 15 years we have crafted, implemented and keep refining the policies & practices that directly & indirectly contribute to the end product quality, and our impact to the community & the environment at large.

Currently our range of organic Products have been certified by the Control Union, Netherland with EU, JAS, and USAD - NOP Further Fair Trade, Fair TSA and HALAL. In the same way Our Factory has been designed to adhere international accredited standards and received several certificate over the past years including BRC AA, IFS, and ISO 22000 and KOSHER. Additionally Our BSCI, ICS and Naturland certificates says our HR practices, the environment and their perspective on social responsibility meet standard of social compliance.

We have a highly trained and versatile team looking into everything from the growing coconut to research, manufacturing and sales. Team constantly seeks new ways to improve existing whilst innovating and creating novel products and processes. Especially Our state of the art laboratory with well-trained team ensure that all raw material that enter the factory and all finish goods that lave the factory meet stringent quality standard.

Therefore we always say our customers get nothing but the best.

GO GREEN AND FAIR TRADE Environmental sustainability is Jaindi’s one of the main priorities. We inspire all of our coconut cultivators to adopt eco- friendly methods. The coconuts are harvested and collected from our own organically grown plantations & trusted local farmers.

Every coconut that turned into a product is hand-picked at its peak for optimal freshness and nutritional value and processed & manufactured

using the ultra modern technologies at our own factory premises. In addition, we have recently diversified our product portfolio by introducing organic fruits, spices and Ayurvedic products with the guarantee of same quality & hygiene.

Fair trade is the best alternative approach to conventional unfair trade based on a partnership between producers and traders, businesses and consumers. Fairtrade offers producers a better deal and improved terms of trade. This approach contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to marginalized producers and workers so they can improve their livelihoods and communities We take fair trade organic raw coconuts from SOFA ( Small Organic Farmer’s Association) which is the best small coconut farmer organization in Asia. And we are certified by international fair Trade (FLO) and fair TSA for our commitment to fair trade philosophy & practices.

In addition we proud to say that we are an integral part of our surrounding community. Our production facilities and plantation provide employment for many in the surrounding villages. Further our effort are not restricted to livelihood of people working directly and indirectly. We also help to development of education and healthcare in our community conducting various community development programs.

LEARNING AND INNOVATION GO HAND IN HAND. Here in Jaindi Export (Pvt) Ltd Organizational culture itself helps to develop new product and innovations (leadership, personnel, infrastructure and processes, reward schemes, and appreciation for innovations). No matter how rough the sea Jaindi refuse to sink as both MD Mr.Anurudda and ECO Ms.Ganga Maduwanthi’s knowledge and expertise steer the company by developing new products with the support of the hard working

and smart thinking research and development crew.

FORWARD TOWARDS GROWTH To move along with rapidly changing market we always invest more on Research and development.

We understand the competitive factor and change according to it by introducing new products regularly.

So we established our new company in Pallama eqquipped with high end machinery to produce coconut Ice cream as a commercial product.

Also now we are installing our aseptic coconut milk plant, to manufacture the aseptic coconut milk in our own factory without depending on third party.

Accordingly we have we invested on spices and fruit project to produce dehydrated fruit product range.

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PERFECT CURRY IN A HURRY / Y O U R

K I T C H E N PA R T N E R

YOUR KITCHEN PARTNER In today’s busy lifestyles and that familiar ‘not-enoughhours-in-a-day’ feeling, the mere idea of scraping and drawing coconut milk drives us in a tizzy. Therefore, smart house wives are looking for quick but wholesome alternatives to traditional foods, so that they can continue to cook traditional dishes without compromising the authentic taste.

Sera, real liquid coconut milk, conveniently available in UHT packs, was launched in response to these prayers for a wholesome, healthy, yet genuine real thick coconut milk, but without the hassle.

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WHY CHOOSE SERA? Sera, real liquid coconut milk is not just a product in the market but worth each rupee that you are spending. An amazing fact is that one pack of Sera 180ml is enough to make 3 curries! Sera is reminiscent of the thick first milk extract required for a perfect curry without the tedious traditional scraping and squeezing of coconuts, which is time-consuming! Moreover, Sera only uses highquality coconuts!

Sera is 100% real coconut milk with no artificial flavours, colours, additives or preservatives, with a shelf life of one year. This enables the product to be stored safely in large quantity in our pantries, making sure it is close at hand at all times. More than that, it comes from Ceylon Biscuits Limited, a truly Sri Lankan conglomerate with a passion for creating innovative products.

FROM ‘TREE TO YOUR HAND’ The secret of Sera real Coconut Milk lies in its state of the art manufacturing process, wherein only high quality coconuts are used and the complete separation of the kernel from the shell is achieved. The reason this is a vital part of the process is that due to this precision, it allows no aftertaste of the shell remnants to affect the taste.

The precision based process then uses high temperatures via steam infusion and tetra packaging to seal in the flavor as opposed to using artificial preservatives. This unique process by which Sera is made ensures the product is safe and healthy for consumption of the entire family and that its genuine taste pleases even the most discerning palate! The proof lies in the fact that Sera is exported to many countries and enjoyed by locals and foreigners alike!

FOR A ‘PERFECT CURRY IN A HURRY’ Sera Coconut Milk is the result of CBL’s commitment to offer housewives, professional cooks and foodies the opportunity to use their beloved coconut milk, but without the laborious effort of cleaning, scraping and drawing the coconut milk. The convenient tetra pack in which Sera is packaged makes cooking a breeze.

Produced from best local coconuts, Sera Coconut milk offers you a world of convenience. You can add water to prepare thick or thin milk. Now Sera Coconut Milk is available in convenient packs of 180ml, 250ml, 330ml and 720 ml packs to suit your choice.

Use Sera for a perfect curry in a hurry!

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ACTIVATED CARBON / S R I

L A N K A N “ B L A C K G O L D ” – A C T I VAT E D C A R B O N

SRI LANKAN

“BLACK GOLD” ACTIVATED CARBON

Sri Lanka produces about 4 billion coconuts per annum. Coconuts are de-husked at the plantation or at some collection point and the nuts are then taken away either for industries or for domestic consumption. Approximately 1/3rd of the coconut production goes to industries such as coconut oil (copra mills), Desiccated Coconut, Coconut Cream, Coconut milk etc. and the balance 2/3rd is used in domestic consumption (mainly for cooking). Fate of the shells generated could be either to use as a fuel or for making charcoal.

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Until 1973, Sri Lanka was exporting coconut shell charcoal to the western countries and Japan, who had production technology and dominated the Activated Carbon industry, to use as a raw material for their production of activated carbon.

Haycarb, using the local expertise and in-house developed technology, pioneered in the manufacture of coconut shell based Activated Carbon in any coconut growing country.

ACTIVATED CARBON Activated Carbon is a porous material that is used in many industries including purification (water, air), extraction of various chemicals including precious metals, chemical synthesis, medical and pharmaceutical, food and beverage, energy storage etc. Activated Carbon is used in above industries in the form of applications such as purification of drinking water, treatment of industrial water, air treatment, gas masks, automotive cabin filters, catalysts and catalyst support, supercapacitors, pharmaceutical industry, food processing industry, as a food additive, synthesis of specialty chemicals etc.

GLOBAL MARKET Global Activated Carbon market is over 2 million metric tons per annum and it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10%. Of the different types of carbonaceous materials such as coal, wood, various types of nut shells (including coconut shell) used in producing Activated Carbon, coconut shell based Activated Carbon is used in specialized application areas due to its inherent characteristics like purity that

is coming from plant origin, superior hardness, unique pore structure and surface properties. Whilst most of the raw material sources used in producing Activated Carbon are depleting and harvesting them creates environmental issues, coconut shell based Activated Carbon is produced using a renewable resource in an environmentally friendly manner making it greener and sustainable in the long run.

Over the years, Haycarb has grown to over 50,000 metric tons per annum in capacity in three countries (Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand), which accounts for over 16% of the world coconut shell Activated Carbon market of 300,000 metric tons. Products are supplied to global customers through fully owned marketing subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, United States of America and Australia and global distributor network. Coconut shell, a waste material few decades ago, then exported as a primary raw material (coconut shell charcoal) is now, after converting to charcoal and Activated Carbon, a multi-million dollar industry that brings foreign exchange to the country.

Haycarb operates under the brand values of innovation, technical excellence, customer centricity in a sustainable environmental and business practices across all the functions within the group.

Being a crop dependent industry, it is very important to forecast the changes in the weather patterns and crop to be able to ensure supply stability and sustainability. By our own initiatives, we have developed mechanisms to achieve this.

GREEN CHARCOALING Our patented process (Recogen) is producing about 25% of our coconut shell charcoal requirement in an environmentally friendly manner ensuring we get consistent quality raw material. This plant prevents saves 46,500MT per annum of CO2 released to the environment and generates 1MW of electricity and supplies to the national grid. This is one of its kind in the world that is qualified for Carbon Credits under UNFCCC.

Started as a CSR project, “Haritha Angara� scheme where the company provides free technology and give interest free long-term loans for suppliers to adopt the pollutionfree charcoaling systems which converts the traditional pits in to these environmentally friendly method.

Currently there is 5,000 people in 1,000 families are benefitted by the 200 such units that are installed across the country. Haycarb is proud to be the pioneer in Sri Lanka in this initiative.

Haycarb story is the story of a company that has achieved global fame in the Activated Carbon industry.

It is a company driven by a vision and a clear long term direction. In order to accomplish its vision it systematically developed its technology and production capacity and a wide and strong distribution network enabling it to achieve customer centricity and global presence with a technically excellent and innovative product portfolio. It champions and upholds a noble cause which is to make the planet a more congenial place for human existence.

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ABDUCTED?

Photo Courtesy: dailyhunt.in

RAMAYANA / S I TA

SITA

ABDUCTED? Texts by : Chanaka de Silva

T

he story of this so called abduction goes on to speak of the the Eagle/ Vulture Jayatu who tried to defend Sita with his life. Annoyed by his resistance Rama kills it. Here it is called by Sita for assistance. Before attacking it calls out to Ravana and tells that Rama has nothing wrong to him. Does this mean that Jayatu does not know of what both Rama and Lakshaman did to Ravana's sister? It says that women should be protected, as your Mother and Sister ; but did it not what Rama had done to Ravana's sister?

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Once Jayatu dies Sita weeps. Because it was she who caused its' death. But it is no match for Ravana. Though old, the Jayatu gives a good account of itself in the battle. When Ravana see the dying bird fighting even after being mortally wounded, it is almost in mercy that he cuts off its' wings so that it will be put out of its' suffering.

Sita after seeing Jayatu dying leaves Ravana and weeps beside it. Then Ravana takes her and places her on his thigh and flies to Lanka. Here the question is why did Ravana let Sita to go to Jayatu's side? She could have runaway. Why was Sita taken to the sky sitting on Ravana's thigh? This not the position that a hostage is kept. A resisting abductee would be first tied. But Sita wasn't. The record is clear.

Sita leaves a trail of jewels to be found by Rama seems like an after thought when you see that she has all but willingly go with Ravana.

Or did she do this to avert suspicion of her true deed?

On arrival of the Rama with Sita he instructs Rakshasis who are to guard her that Sita should be provided with Silks ,Food or Jewels, whatever she asks. Again is this the way a prisoner is treated?

After this Ravana dispatches eight spies/assassins to kill Rama . it is said that he considered it his revenge to bring Sita. If it was simple revenge would it not have been easier to kill Sita? Would Ravana have gone into all this trouble to take revenge for the disfigurement done to his sister, of whose husband Ravana had killed? It seems it is a little too much.

Photo Courtesy: www.theindianpanorama.news

On Rama's and Lakshmana's return and the discovery of Sita missing bring unhappiness to Rama. Here curiously he feared had happened. Does this means that he always suspected that Sita might leave him?

He says' “What I dreaded has happened , Sita is gone”. He does not say someone has abducted Sita. He always knew that she was likely to leave him.

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ABDUCTED?

Photo Courtesy: www.boloji.com

RAMAYANA / S I TA

Then the Ramayana goes on to describe the effort Ravana takes to win Sita. But why all this song and dance if she was a prisoner? He could easily have done what he wanted? In the description of his wooing he says that Rama is an exile and the wealth and power he commands, quite rightly so. Was that one of the reasons that Sita decided to come.

Ravana also puts his flying machine or Vimana at her disposal. Now this is a level of technical superiority that Rama does not have.

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The time of twelve months that according to the Ramayana that Ravana gives Sita to make up her mind seems more of a request to which that he had acceded to rather than a time given to decide.

Because if the choice was his it would not have been so long.

On Rama's and Lakshmana's return and the discovery of Sita missing bring unhappiness to Rama. Here curiously he feared had happened. Does this means that he always suspected that Sita might leave him? He says' “What I dreaded has happened , Sita is gone”. He does not say someone has abducted Sita. He always knew that she was likely to leave him.

He even finds fault with brother for leaving her side. This is the brother that joined him in exile to help him. Is this not a little more than ungrateful? Because it is Sita herself who sends Lakshamana away from guarding her. She even threatens to kill her self if Lakshamana does not leave.

She even accuses him of being Rama's enemy.

The curious fact is that Rama does not suspect that Sita has been abducted, but almost accepts that she has left him. He is angry that even though he suspected this and kept Lakshamana to guard her she was clever enough to send him away and disappear.

EXPERIENCE / P L A I N

SAILING

TEXT BY | CHANAKA DE SILVA

PICS BY | DEVENDA DE SILVA

"We

clear the harbour and the wind catches her sails and my beautiful ship leans over ever so gracefully, and her elegant bow cuts cleanly into the increasing chop of the waves. I take a deep breath and my chest expands and my heart starts thumping so strongly I fear the others might see it beat through the cloth of my jacket. I face the wind and my lips peel back from my teeth in a grin of pure joy.� L.A. Meyer, We arrived a little past noon to the bay to board the catamaran.

Lo and behold what I saw was the 'Emerald' on the Turquoise sea framed by a Blue sky and a clear white sandy beach gently fanned by the ocean breeze. I knew then that I had arrived. The experience of a lifetime awaited me.

The experience of sailing in a ship is one everyone must experience. As Meyer aptly describes the feeling one experience when you are on a boat that leaves the shore is not easy to describe except one may call it pure pleasure.

With catamarans being generally stable one only feel the gentle rocking and roll. This might even be likened to a cradle. So comforting, so gentle. With only the sound of the wind in the sails and the lapping of water on the bows, the sensation one feels should be described as a form of pure relaxation.

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SAILING

The combination of the sound of the wind and water and also seeing a receding shoreline give the idea of the total getaway to anyone. On a boat, one can easily leave one worries and concerns behind. The only sea breeze and the smell of the sea are like balm to one's senses.

Once under sail, the experience truly begins. Then the captain and crew of the craft see to every comfort of the passengers. The Chef and his creations are something to see. In a galley where one might think only sandwiches could be made he comes out with the most delectable meals, you could imagine. The beauty of these meals is they are none too heavy and certainly not light but just enough to stay inside you on a boat. Sail Lanka considers one's food preferences. So no one is left out but everyone is served what is best.

Dinner was a soup, followed by grilled prawns, noodles. Just done with the right amount of everything to keep its' flavour and also to sit right.

The upper deck is like the rooftop. This is where one can truly relax with the wind in ones' hair. Very comfortable lounges are at hand if one wished to just relax, or read or even just sleep, listening to the gentle lapping of the waves and being fanned by the sea. Even to sleep here at night is not exactly a bad idea, as there is no mosquito to bother you. With the sky full of stars as your ceiling and sea, the floor what more comfort can one wish for. It's very much like the description of Paradise described by Omar Khayyam.

Waking up refreshed to a Breakfast on the deck is something else. A beautifully laid out meal is simply a joy to behold. The view of enjoying breakfast with the sea in the background is an experience in itself. The morning sun on the deck gives the atmosphere of sitting on a Veranda with the ocean as your garden. Scrambled eggs, sausages on toast with fruits to follow will rival any breakfast at any hotel ashore.

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Waking up refreshed to a Breakfast on the deck is something else. A beautifully laid out meal is simply a joy to behold. The view of enjoying breakfast with the sea in the background is an experience in itself.

The morning sun on the deck gives the atmosphere of sitting on a Veranda with the ocean as your garden.

Scrambled eggs, sausages on toast with fruits to follow will rival any breakfast at any hotel ashore.

The morning also brings the opportunity to see the Dolphins and Whales. The advantage of trying to see the Dolphins from a Catamaran is that the very nature of the craft brings them close to sometimes swimming alongside. Unlike the motorboats which create such a din with their Kerosene engines, it is a surprise that we see Dolphins at all. The on route to the area where the Dolphins frolic early morning is getting the first glimpse. We see so many boats heading towards the area they are known to be seen, and just to see the first one breakwater is so exciting. Then we stand on the bow and watch to see them appear from anywhere and swimming ahead of the boat. An experience not to be missed by anyone. It there is a list of must-do things, this should be certainly at the top.

Later in the morning is a time for snorkelling, Paddle Boating, Diving for the more adventurous. To be in the water diving and swimming is another of the activities that give one a sense of true freedom. With a lifeguard always accompanying the guests there is absolutely nothing to fear.

Speaking with Sail Lanka, Head of Sales and Marketing, Margaux Detry I found that customized tours are available. Along with a host of other choices of arranged tours. Activities are designed to suit the need of the guests. Their boats take off from Mirissa, Trincomalee and Jaffna. With sailing holidays of 1, 2, 3 or 6 nights to several cruises are also arranged.

If there is an experience to be had in sailing either on cruises of plain sailing around the country Sail Lanka will do justice to your wishes like no other, of that I have my own experience to vouch for.

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NELNA MANGOES / T H E

NEW KING OF FRUITS

NELNA MANGOES

THE NEW KING OF FRUITS 62

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Nelna Mango is one of the world's biggest and juiciest mangoes and it is completely unique to Sri Lanka. Nelna mangoes boasts of a uniquely sweet flavour and are low in fibre as well. The first generation of this variety of mango was first introduced to Sri Lanka from Australia in the 1980s and then subsequently developed in Sri Lanka to create this unique mango variety.

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NELNA MANGOES / T H E

M

ANGO IS NOT CALLED FOR ‘KING OF FRUITS’ FOR NOTHING. APART FROM ITS HEAVENLY TASTE, LANKANS ALSO CARRY A CLOSE HISTORIC BOND WITH IT. WITH ITS UNIQUE TASTE, FRAGRANCE AND SIZE KARTHAKOLOMBAN RULED THE FARMERS’ MARKET FOR SO MANY YEARS UNTIL A NEW VARIETY OF MANGO INVADED THE MARKET LATELY. MANGO LOVERS NAMED THIS AS ALPONSO AND NOW IT’S NO LONGER A STRANGER BUT COMMONLY FOUND FAST MOVING FRUIT SELLING ALONGSIDE THE ROADS. COMPARING WITH OTHER MANGO VARIETIES, ALPONSO IS BIGGER AND BETTER IN FLAVOUR.

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NEW KING OF FRUITS

However, similar to Alponso mangoes selling in lofts along the roads another variety flooded supermarkets. The new mango variety which hit the market lately is a mixed variety of the local Kartha kolamban and the famed Indian Alphonso mango.

‘Nelna’ mango is a fruit well-recognized, organically produced and full of goodness and taste. Under its agricultural arm Nelna Agri Development (Pvt.) Ltd, has cultivated 60,000 mango plants following the global good agricultural practices (GGAP), in 650 acres in the located in the Intermediary and Dry Zone districts of Sri Lanka.

MANGO FACTS Nelna Mango is one of the world's biggest and juiciest mangoes and it is completely unique to Sri Lanka. Nelna mangoes boasts of a uniquely sweet flavour and are low in fibre as well. The first generation of this variety of mango was first introduced to Sri Lanka from Australia in the 1980s and then subsequently developed in Sri Lanka to create this unique mango variety. The speciality of Nelna Mangoes is the the beautiful golden orange fruit and it’s unblemished, smooth skin. It has a deliciously sweet flavour, silky smooth flesh and low fiber content. The average weight of this delicious mango is about 600g. The fruit has a slow ripening time, making it ideal for the fruit produce to reach international market destinations.The excellent red, loamy soil and the ideal weather conditions in our mango plantations further helps to bring out the rich hue and the wonderful flavour of this unique mango - two factors that are the main demands from the international market.

WE NURTURE OUR MANGOES WITH GREAT CARE The company treat its mangoes that is fit for royalty. Nelna mangoes are grown with special care in carbon quoted bags in order to safeguard the fruits from pests and potential diseases. While this process is a very labor and cost-intensive procedure, we believe that taking this extra step ensures the quality of our mangoes and results in happier consumers across the world.

Every tree at ‘Nelna’ mango plantation is maintained at an average height of 10 feet through regular pruning, which results in the trees yeleiding mangoes all year around. All our mangoes are handpicked and is of the highest quality and ideal for the export market. Once the mangoes are harvested, the fruits are then carefully sent to our pack house for export packaging.

MANGO STORY The concept of Nelna Mangoes is wholly unique: it is a concept that is founded on an unswerving commitment to exceptional quality and authenticity to the much loved taste of the King of fruits. Nelna is a part of a philosophy that goes beyond just business and sees what we do as an avenue of service to the community.

When it comes to mangoes, it is one of nature’s bountiful gifts; a fruit that refreshes and heals. It is a fruit that comes in a beautiful variety of shapes, colours, tastes and textures depending on the subtle alchemy of soils, temperatures and environment. This unique variety in mangoes also poses a challenge as much as the the delectably indulgent reward it gives us to suit every taste and pattlette. This challenge is that of meticulous expertise in understanding mangoes inside out and the knowledge of selecting the finest.

At ‘Nelna, we understand that expertise can only come with experience and commitment to this delectable fruit.

Founder of Nelna, Mr. W.G.EG Nanayakkara proved his passionate commitment to this amazingly diverse fruit in 2005 as a business diversification strategy from his core business of integrated poultry business, which is well established in Sri Lanka.

WHERE WE STAND TODAY Today ‘Nelna’ exports its mango products to over 12 countries including Singapore, Germany, Russia, Switzerlandand and United Kingdom. ‘Nelna’ owns a wide range of plantaion across Sri Lanka including in Rahathangama, Wandama, Buttala, Kanabendiara, Thunkama, Hingura, Thalawa and Wedipitiya. Nelna mangoes are available in all leading supermarkets in the country as well as ‘Nelna’ outlets in Battaramulla, Pita Kotte, Thalawathugoda and Embilipitiya. Passionate and experienced staff as well as qualified agronomists who assist with valuable technical inputs are behind its success. With the forecasted gradual growth in the harvest, Nelna is targeting to achieve an annual production of 10 million fruits by the year 2022.

Today ‘Nelna’ had achieved its goal of becoming leading cultivator of best quality mangoes in the country and is looking forward to its next goal of becoming the leading supplier of best quality mangoes in the Sri Lankan market in future.

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EVENTS / M I N I S T E R

VISITS NEW COCONUT TRIANGLE

MINISTER VISITS NEW COCONUT TRIANGLE

The major part of Sri Lanka's coconut production comes from the Coconut Triangle, which is the area between Puttalam, Kurunegala and Colombo.

By recognising the rapid urbanization and development in and around the coconut triangle in Sri Lanka, the Government last year introduced the second Coconut Triangle in the Northern Province, centered on Jaffna.

Minister of Plantation Industries Navin Dissanayake who believes that the future of the coconut industry would be the Northern and the Eastern Provinces recently attended on a three-day visit to Jaffna to observe the development of the program.

10 August 2019 - Day One After seeking blessing from Sri Naga vihara temple in Jaffna which is a popular rendezvous spot among tourists and devotees, Minister Dissanayake declared open the newly constructed regional coconut cultivation office in Jaffna. The construction of this building was commenced under the instructions of the minister last year.

Then, Minister Dissanayake distributed cash cheques worth of Rs 1.5 million among 290 coconut cultivators from Palai area.

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Day one of the minister’s Jaffna visit was ended after attending a function held in Veerasingam Hall Jaffna. During the function cash cheques worth of Rs 3.5 million were distributed among 593 coconut cultivators in Jaffna area.

11 August 2019 - Day Two In the second day of the visit, Minister Dissanayake travelled to Vavuniya District. An agreement was signed between Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) and Cashew Corporation to grow cashew in unoccupied lands belong to SLAF, at Iranamadu SLAF Camp in the presence of the minister. A cashew tree was also planted at the land by the minister to mark the ceremony.

About after two hours journey from Iranamadu, Minister Dissanayake visited some coconut cultivators in Peimaidu in Vavuniya. At a function organised in the community centre of the area , the minister distributed cash cheques worth of Rs two million among 80 coconut cultivators.

Minister Dissanayake joined with the Vavuniya District Secretary for lunch organised at his residence then attended the opening ceromony of the office of the ‘Kapruka’ Society in Nandimithriyagama Sinhala village.

Cash cheques worth of Rs two million were also distributed by the minister at a function organised by the village among 20 coconut cultivators in order to support their cultivation.

11 August 2019 - Day Three After a successful visit in Vavuniya, Minister Dissanayake visited Mullaitivu district and observe the development of the coconut cultivation in the area. During the visit he had declared open the regional office of the Coconut Cultivation Board that is constructed within the Pudukuduirippu Agrarian Services Centre situated some 114 km away from Jaffna.

Later minister met with Mullaitivu District Secretary and attended a function held at the secretariat to empower and appreciate coconut cultivators at the area. 290 cultivators were awarded with Rs 1.5 million worth of cash cheques at the function.

During Minister Dissanayake’s three day visit in Northern Province a total of Rs 11.1 million had been distributed among coconut cultivators in three districts as fertilizer aid to popular and develop the cultivation.

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EVENTS / E L L A

S T R E E T F O O D F I E S TA 2 0 1 9

ELLA STREET FOOD FIESTA 2019

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EVENT / E LY O N

H O T E L S T O L A U N C H ‘ E LY O N C O L O M B O ’

ELYON HOTELS TO LAUNCH ‘ELYON COLOMBO’ DELIVERING NEW AGE IN HOSPITALITY FOR THE BUSINESS TRAVELLER

R

Reflecting a new age in hospitality, in which business travel is inseparable from lifestyle, the Elyon Hotels chain unveiled its new offering, ‘Elyon Colombo’ located at Orion City, Colombo recently.

Presenting a contemporary, vibrant design, with purpose-built smart technology and meaningful dining options,Elyon Colombo, to be opened on 1st August, is envisioned as the go-to destination for business travelers.

Designed by an award-winning international architecture practice, the Elyon Colombo offers tranquil spaces and modern amenities, catering to tech-savvy business travellers as well as the MICE travel sector.

Commenting at the launch, Presantha Jayamaha, Co-founder, Elyon Hotels, said“The Elyon Hotels chain is more focused than ever on providing exceptional and unique experiences to our guests. With the Elyon Colombo hotel we believe these experiences will resonate well with business travelers as we provide reimagined spaces designed for greater flexibility and sociability, facilitate authentic dining options, innovative approaches for recreation and relaxation together with state-of-the-art business facilities that matter.”

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Mr. Jabr Bib Jabr Al Suwaidi Director of Oporto, Sri Lanka, Mr. Asanth Sebastian - Director of Oporto, Sri Lanka,, Mr. Craig Tozer- CEO of Oporto, Australia, H.E. Bryce HutchessonAustralian High Commissioner and Mr. Sharad Sri – Partner/Cofounder at the official opening of Oporto in Sri Lanka

Additionally, Elyon Colombo’s highly accessible and premier location within the Orion City Park, especially for business travelers visiting the park, and its proximity to commercial hubs such as Colombo, Fort, Dematagoda and Kelaniya ensure convenient access and a compelling advantage to businesses in these localities.

Speaking at the event, Jey Gnanam, Board Director of Orion City said, “Orion City has established an elite portfolio of resident businesses within our complex. The Elyon Colombo is regarded as a fantastic addition complementing our facilities. Businesses within the park will now have access to a range of innovative services for recreation and relaxation ensuring convenience when planning meetings, entertaining visitors and even accommodating foreign clients. Orion City is pleased to add a feature of this caliber to our offering and trust our other clients will enjoy the services offered.”

The hotel is comprised of Deluxe Sun Rise rooms as well as Deluxe City View rooms, a premium suite and a lavish Elyon Suite. All rooms are equipped with high-speed internet, a 49” LCD TV and a host of other amenities tailored to offer maximum comfort and luxury. The Hotel amenities also feature courier services and business fellowships, laundry, a 24-hour snack kiosk, airport drop/pickup services, special needs accessibility and much more. Guest facilities include the Mintaka Restaurant - featuring epicurean cuisine, VU19 - a vibrant and sociable bar, the fully fitted out gym on the 20th floor; Elyon Colombo offers business and leisure travelers an elevated experience from arrival to departure.

The hotel is also purpose-built to host a range of MICE, conference or meeting, events with facilities that include three state-of-the-art meeting and event spaces including the Sky Function Hall that can accommodate over 120pax and ideal for corporate functions. These spaces have been designed to inspire innovative thinking, feature unique designs and technology that spark new ideas and optimize work and collaboration.

Conveniently located within 20 minutes of Bandaranaike International Airport, and at the new Gateway into Colombo’s commercial hub;the Elyon Colombo exemplifies Elyon Hotel chain’s focus to deliver truly guest-inspired hospitality services to niche customer segments.

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EVENTS / H A M O O S

T R AV E L S B R I N G S O V E R 1 2 5 0 T O U R I S T S

Hamoos Travel’s with Bally’s Entertainment launch special package to entice tourists Sales at Duty free exceeds LKR 5 Million TEXT BY | CHANAKA DE SILVA PICS BY | DEVENDA DE SILVA

Hotels Hamoos Travels together with Bally's Entertainment recently lunched a special weekend package to entice tourists to Colombo. According to the plan, a flight specially chartered for the occasion was used to ferry down around two hundred and fifty tourists from Hyderabad India to Colombo.

These tourists benefiting from an unprecedented promotion will be one of the primary to put tourist industry back after atrocious terrorist attacks that Sri Lanka witnessed on Easter Sunday in Colombo and a few suburbs.

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Johny Perera, Vice President Bally's International Marketing

The passengers of the charter flight from India were treated to special on board offers and promotions. Speaking on the promotional excursion Bally's International Marketing, Vice President, Johny Perera said that it was their first such tourism promotion. “We hope to continue this, and judging by the response it is a runaway success. We will promote our packages in different cities in India every month from now on. I am sure those too will be successful as this or even more”.

Commenting further, Perera said, “Today the tourism industry has got a much needed shot in the arm . Beside the two hundred and fifty passengers on the charter flight another one thousand are arriving on other flights as well to enjoy this special packages.

These tourists will be booked into all the Colombo Hotels for the duration of the stay”.

Arriving with the inaugural, Hamoos Travel General Manager, Mahesh Wanigasekara said, “this tour was promoted in the Indian market for only a month. The response has been very good and encouraging.

We will be promoting this in all the big cities in India. We will then offer these promotional packages to other countries in the region , like China, Singapore and Malaysia”.

“This time we have a celebrity on board, giving them all kinds of free offers including spa facilities. So we want to showcase Sri Lanka as well. And then when it comes to entertainment : of course Bally's is on top. And they're coming to experience games. They will be here for three nights and four days and return back on the same flight . They're all from Hyderabad, just one state. However, in line with Indian independence, we are having separate function here.

So from other states and from other

Mahesh Wanigasekara, General Manager, Hamoos Travels

countries also, there are over 1,000 tourists coming in and they are coming on separate flights. So I have the team ready to pick everybody up.

90% of the guests will be staying at Kingsbury and then at the other hotels in Colombo,” he added.

Accordingly, amounting to over INRs. 2 million ( approximately this is similar to Lkr. 5 million) were generated via duty free sales by the passengers of this charter flight alone.

With many encouraging responses received, Hotels Hamoos Travels together with Bally's Entertainment hope to organise similar events monthly basis and believe that it could be a major contribution towards the tourism industry as well.

With some support from the government organisors’ believe that it would not be a difficult task to double the heads and increase the revenue generating via the tourism industry.

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EVENTS / SRI LANKA TOURISM PROMOTION BUREAU HOSTS NETWORKING SESSION FOR TRAVEL BLOGGERS

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau hosts networking session for travel bloggers Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) hosted a networking event for a group of prominent social media influencers and travel bloggers, at Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo, in order to welcome them and also to felicitate those who made an outstanding contribution to promote the destination. The group, consisting of 22 travel bloggers representing key markets in Europe & USA, arrived in Sri Lanka on 6th August 2019, to explore the destination and convey a message to the global community that Sri Lanka is a safe to travel, and showcase its wide variety of holiday opportunities for travel enthusiasts.

Arrival of guests at the entrance

Welcome dance

Welcome speech by Mr. Kishu Gomes, Chairman, SLTPB

Ms. Charmarie Maelge , Managing Director , SLTPB addressing the gathering

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Janet Newenham receiving her award from Mr. S. Hettiarachchi , Secretary , Ministry of Tourism Development , Wildlife & Christian Religious Affairs

Group photo with Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau officials and the travel bloggers

Travel bloggers posing for a photo with the So Sri Lanka background

Janet Newenham , during her speech

The delegation will tour the country in 5 groups, which will cover the major attractions and also lesser known attractions of the North, East, South and Central parts of the country. The combined reach of these bloggers of all social media platforms is over 7 million, with a major follower base in the European continent.

Janet Newenham, a prominent travel blogger from Ireland who has an average reach of 150,000 on twitter, 50,000 on Instagram 30,000 on face book and 2000 on YouTube, runs the popular travel blogger site, ‘’Journalist on the run’’ and contributed largely in placing Sri Lanka on the global map as a top travel destination. In order to thank her for her massive support, she was given the award for outstanding contribution for Sri Lanka tourism at the event.

Speaking on receiving the award she said, ‘’I was very happy and felt so surprised because it was so unexpected. I felt emotional at the same time and this means so much to me. I have been visiting Sri Lanka for 3 years now and I’m going to continue visiting this amazing country. I think Sri Lanka is one of the loveliest countries in the world with whale watching, the elephants, and I love Sri Lankan cuisine too. Sri Lankans are the friendliest people in the world. I take this as an opportunity to thank you all ‘’.

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NEWS / HUTCH DEPLOYS FIRST FULLY-FLEDGED NETWORK FUNCTION VIRTUALIZATION (NFV) BASED CORE NETWORK IN SRI LANKA

HUTCH deploys first fully-fledged Network Function Virtualization (NFV) based Core Network in Sri Lanka HUTCH, Sri Lanka’s fastest growing mobile telecommunications provider, consolidated its position in the market by upgrading its high-tech hub located in Walpola to a fully modernized facility.

Affirming its technological advancements, HUTCH recently established its superior 4G network in Western and Eastern Provinces and a nationwide roll-out is currently ongoing. During this process, HUTCH has deployed the first fullyfledged NFV (Network Function Virtualization) based Core Network, a technology that allows operators to move out from a traditional hardware-based system and move to a more generic IT server for telecommunication services.

Through this deployment, all specialized systems tailor-made for telecom applications will run on any standard IT server, allowing flexibility, rapid deployment and low Capital Expenditure in upgrading, which are essential aspects in a rapidly-changing technology landscape.

HUTCH will also be deploying one of the most advanced Converged Billing Systems (CvBS) in the world where Post-pay and Pre-paid billing systems can run on a single platform. This gives flexibility to defining unique packages which will suit any individual or corporate user, based on their requirements.

Thirukumar Nadarasa - Chief Executive Officer of HUTCH Sri Lanka stated, "The deployment of the most advanced core network and converged billing systems in Sri Lanka demonstrates Hutch’s commitment to providing the best and most advanced services to its subscribers. This is coupled with the ongoing deployment of a nationwide 4G network that will help to bring affordable broadband services throughout the entire country. The recent takeover and integration of Etisalat 2G/3G network under Hutch will also finally offer competitive 2G and 3G services nationwide on par with its major competitors. We are therefore pleased that Hutch is now able to offer a competitive alternative mobile service to the market".

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HUTCH Sri Lanka Chief Executive Officer Thirukumar Nadarasa flanked by Head of Sales and Marketing Ramzeena Morseth Lye, General Manager Network Dhananjaya Ponnamperuma, General Manager IT Asanga Ranasinghe officially opening the new fully modernized Data Center located in Walpola high-tech hub

HUTCH Sri Lanka Chief Executive Officer Thirukumar Nadarasa addressing the gathering

HUTCH Sri Lanka General Manager Network Dhananjaya Ponnamperuma

HUTCH Sri Lanka General Manager IT Asanga Ranasinghe

HUTCH Sri Lanka Head of Sales and Marketing Ramzeena Morseth Lye

NEWS / S R I

L ANKA L AUNCHES MAJOR TOURISM DRIVE IN CHINA

Hon. Minister’s Speech at the Press Conference in Beijing, 2019

Posing for a group photo with the media representatives from China at the press conference

SRI LANKA LAUNCHES MAJOR TOURISM DRIVE IN CHINA Sri Lanka tourism Promotion Bureau launched a major charm offensive in China recently, courting some of the most popular travel agencies and tourists in a bid to lure more Chinese visitors to the city. Minister of Tourism Development, Wildlife & Christian religious affairs John Amaratunga even highlighted the possibility of lifting the visa fee for Chinese visitors, seeing that the country is ready to welcome Chinese tourists again.

In conjunction with the exhibition, Sri Lanka Tourism also held a special media briefing for Chinese and International media outlets on June 17th at the China World Hotel in Beijing. Over 60 media outlets and 40 representatives from airlines and travel agencies participated in the event, which included China’s CCTV, People’s Daily, Global Times, China Radio as well as Air China, China Eastern Airlines, Sri Lankan Airlines and China southern airlines. The minister speaking at the event highlighted that China was one of the key markets to Sri Lanka and he was keen on lifting the visa fees to Chinese tourists.

Sri Lanka tourism participated in the Beijing International Tourism Expo (BITE) 2019 which is recognized as one of the most influential and famous international expositions sponsored by the Beijing Culture & Tourism Administration, organized

by Beijing Relation Conference and Exhibition. Hon. Minister of Tourism Development, Wildlife & Christian Religious Affairs, John Amaratunga graced the occasion as a special guest.

Every year, BITE serves as an important for exchange as well as a trade platform for promotion of global tourism resources and products. BITE 2019 was held for the 16th successive year which went on from June 18th - 20th. BITE, the largest international travel exhibition in China, is an important exchange and trade platform for promoting the global tourism resources and products and stimulating tourism consumption.

It features comprehensive multi-field exhibition projects such as tourism investment and finance, tourism real estate, tourism commodities, special towns, tourism, intelligent tourism, sports tourism, medical tourism, outdoor tourism, RV camping tourism and much more.

China is Sri Lanka’s second largest source market which drew 265,965 tourists last year. China has over 150 million outbound tourists, increasing 14% year-on-year. At the presser, questions were posed by attendees on the current situation in the country.

Minister John Amaratunga, Ambassador to Sri Lanka in China and Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Kishu Gomes updated the media on the current situation in Sri Lanka and that the country was safe to travel to.

In parallel with the participation at the fair and presser, Minister John Amaratunga also undertook a special visit to the Yunnan College of Tourism in Kunming, China. The Ministerial delegation including the Minister of Tourism Development, Wild Life & Christian Religious Affairs; Hon. Minister John Amaratunga, Senior Advisor to the Minister; Mr. Felix Rodrigo, the Coordinating Secretary to the Minister; Mr. R.A.P. Ariyaratne, Assistant Director, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau; Mr. Chinthka Liyanaarachchi visited the Yunnan College of Tourism in Kunming, China on 17th June, 2019 during their visit to China.

Mr. Zhang Jinglong; President of Yunnan College of Tourism, Mr. He Ligui; Head of Yunnan Provincial Culture & Tourism Department, Mr. Sheng Wei; Director of International Cooperation, Ms. Li Jiaxin; Director of International Cooperation, Division of Yunnan College of Tourism and Mr. Pan Guangyou; Deputy Director of office participated at the event, in order to represent China.

The main objective of this visit was to strengthen the ties between Sri Lanka and China & during the Minister’s visit to Yunnan College, the benefits Sri Lanka Tourism can receive from the Yunnan College of Tourism in Kunming, China were discussed in detail with the officials of the Yunnan College.

Further, this visit provided a massive chance to discuss about, how to develop Sri Lanka Tourism in Kunming, China.

As a result of this visit, the Yunnan College of Tourism also gave the opportunity for Chinese speaking Tour guides from Sri Lanka to participate in their Chinese Speaking Elite Tour Guides Training Programme, titled as ‘’ Sino – ASEAN Tourism Personnel Education & Training Base ‘’ which will be conducted from Oct. 13th – Nov. 2nd ,2019. Furthermore, Sri Lanka Tourism was also fortunate enough to receive the award for the “Best Organization” at the Beijing International Tourism Expo (BITE) 2019.

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NEWS / S I N G E R

L AUNCHES JOHN DEERE 4WD TRACTORS TO SRI L ANKAN MARKET

SINGER LAUNCHES JOHN DEERE 4WD TRACTORS TO SRI LANKAN MARKET

Singer Sri Lanka PLC, a household name in consumer durables and diversified company in Sri Lanka launched three 4WD Tractor models from the world-renowned USA based brand John Deere. The launch was held ceremonially at The View, Waters’ Edge recently.

The introduction of innovative technology from one of the world’s best brands, John Deere, was the emphasis for Singer Sri Lanka to bring down the best equipment to Sri Lanka’s existing Agri machinery industry. Singer Sri Lanka currently markets two-wheel tractors and have been named as market leaders for the fourth year. With their current stance in the market and with being the No. 1 in the two-wheel tractor market, they only saw it fitting that they select from the best in global Agri machinery technology and introduce it to the country.

The current market demand for Agri machinery is big in Sri Lanka and this came as a timely initiative to introduce the 4WD tractor and fulfil the requirement of user-friendly, economical and innovative technology for their consumers. With Singer Sri Lanka’s expertise in this sector and with their established dealer network island wide, they can leverage on this and ensure the availability of these products.

Commenting on the recent launch, Singer Sri Lanka CEO, Mahesh Wijewardene said, “With the trusted name that Singer Sri Lanka has, we wanted to take a step forward to provide our support towards enhancing the agriculture sector in Sri Lanka and the tie up with John Deere Agri equipment will be a win for both companies. We look forward to unveiling more products in this category in the long run in developing the Agriculture sector.”

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Singer Sri Lanka Group Chairman Mohan Pandithage (third from left) with John Deere Director Sales & Marketing Asia Juergen Sieber.

Three John Deere models were introduced at the launch, the 3036E, 5045D and 5047D with a horsepower of 36, 47 and 45 respectively. Key features include power steering, powerful hydraulics system and a high lifting capacity safety bar among other things. Both, the 3036E and 5045D are available on 4-wheel drive only whereas the 5047D comes as a 2-wheel drive which can be switched into a 4WD. With the purchase of one of these models is a 42 blade rotovator which comes free with it. Other accessories such as disk ploughs, tine tillers and front loaders can be purchased separately as well and easily incorporated into these tractors.

Giving his insight about the new unveiling, Singer Sri Lanka Marketing Director, Kumar Samarasinghe said, “We are delighted to have one of the world’s best global brands such as John Deere on board with Singer Sri Lanka and we can guarantee our consumers will receive the best of equipment incorporating user-friendly tech specifications that would enable them to achieve maximum outcome.”