Nestlé Lanka gives boost to coconut industry

In celebration of its 150th anniversary worldwide and 110 years locally, Nestlé launched another big commitment to help develop the local coconut industry. In collaboration with the Sri Lanka Coconut Cultivation Board, the company is donating 10,000 coconut plantlets across 150 acres to 2,000 coconut farming families and developing two model coconut farms to showcase best practices.

The Coconut Development Program is one of the many public commitments Nestlé has made to the local community to enhance their quality of life. The program was inaugurated by Chief Guest, Minister of Plantation Industries Navin Dissanayake at a model farm planting ceremony in Nikaweratiya. 150 Nestlé employees together with the coconut farmers, planted coconut plantlets in the presence of respected clergy, the minister, chairman and members of the Coconut Cultivation Board, Nestlé South Asia Region Head Suresh Narayanan, Nestlé Lanka Managing Director Shivani Hegde and other Nestlé officials.

“I truly value Nestlé’s strong and continued commitments to the social and economic development of the country. Nestlé is a company that has heavily invested behind the development of the local dairy and coconut industries over the years. Their significant investments have uplifted the lives of those communities whose livelihoods revolve around these industries. With the Government’s intervention, we will strongly support Nestlé and the private sector in their efforts to develop the local coconut sector,” said Navin Dissanayake.

“Nestlé Lanka has a long and rich history with Sri Lanka’s dairy industry, having worked together with the government and local farmers since the early 1980s. I am happy to witness the company embarking on another great initiative to strengthen the coconut industry as well,” said Suresh Narayanan.

“2016 marks the first time Nestlé is directly engaging with its coconut famers. Our Coconut Development Program will undoubtedly contribute positively towards Sri Lanka’s development and empower our coconut farmers to grow crops that will benefit them, enhancing their quality of life, thereby developing the coconut sector,” said Shivani Hegde.

Nestlé will distribute its coconut plantlets to not just its existing coconut farmers within the traditional coconut triangle but also famers located in areas outside of the triangle with good potential for coconut growing, including Wariyapola, Nikaweratiya, Rasnayakapura, Padaviya, Vavuniya and Kebithigollewa.

The company will introduce a new ‘model farm’ concept by planting approximately a 100 plantlets each in two model farms in Nikaweratiya and Kebithigollewa with the aim of offering farmers an ideal coconut farm design to benchmark best practices and high quality coconut farming standards. 

The Coconut Development Program will also include intensive technical assistance by the Coconut Cultivation Board including soil tests, provision of manure and other pre and post planting assistance.

Coconut is staple to Sri Lankan cuisine and a significant contributor to the country’s economy via exports. Nestlé is one of the largest exporters of coconut milk powder in the world. Using fresh, high quality coconuts and manufactured exclusively at Nestlé’s Kurunegala factory, its Maggi Coconut Milk Powder is directly exported to over 50 countries in the world, supplying Nestlé and other companies worldwide. The company purchases coconuts indirectly from 5,000 rural farming families through its suppliers, offering them a sustainable source of income. 

Nestlé’s contribution to the local coconut industry in 2015, as payment for procuring fresh coconuts for its products, came to 

Rs. 2.6 billion.