'New technology vital to enhance quality of palmyrah products'

By Lalin Fernandopulle

The palmyrah industry which had been a main source of income for people in the North has been revived. The Palmyrah Development Board and the Palmyrah Training Centre in Kilinochchi have given a fresh boost to the once vibrant and lucrative industry.

Toddy tappers, sap collectors and product manufacturers are again in business with new aspirations to make a living from the rich palm. The Palmyrah Training Centre supported by the Palmyrah Development Board grooms a large number of youth to manufacture various products using all parts of the tree.

Palmyrah products

The Centre provides a one-year training program to manufacture, bags, baskets, boxes, mats and brushes. The first batch has been trained and new recruits are mastering the art of manufacturing palmyrah products.

Palmyrah Development Board, Chairman Passupathy Seevaratnam said that there is a demand for palmyrah-based products and added that steps will be taken to market them.

The absence of a stable market and price for products are major challenges hampering the growth of the palmyrah industry. "Our products are admired but there is no market for it," a palmyrah product manufacturer said.

Many towns and cities have resumed business but not on a large scale. The private sector has a major role to play in reviving business in the North. A processing centre to be set up shortly by Cargills Plc in Kilinochchi will be shot-in-the-arm for the palmyrah industry.

"A few shops buy these products in small quantities. We need more buyers so that we could manufacture them on a regular basis," said a manufacturer.

The palmyrah industry came to a standstill due to terrorism. The growth of the industry was stifled leaving a large number of people unemployed.

Palmyrah toddy, treacle, jaggery, sweets and sugar candy are some of the products of the palmyrah palm which has enormous potential to be a dynamic industry that could provide a large number of jobs and a stable income to many.

The palmyrah industry has been an integral part of the people in the North. The North is also known as the Palmyrah jungle. Palmyrah trees adorn either side of the A-9 road that leads to Jaffna in vast swathes of land beyond Vavuniya.

The unique factor of the palmyrah tree is that it is a multi-beneficial palm. Almost all parts of it can be used to manufacture products.

The growth of the tree is slow and it takes over 15 years to bear fruit. Acres of palm trees were destroyed due to the battle against terrorism. A drive on the roads towards the North reveals the extent of damage to palmyrah trees. The leafless barks reveal the destruction.

The steps taken to replant trees will encourage cottage industries which depend on palmyrah products. The palmyrah leaf is used for roofing and as a fence. The wood is used for roofing and the fibre is used to manufacture brushes. The ridge of the leaf is used to make ropes.

About 450 families depend on the plamyrah industry in Kilinochchi. A tapper earns around Rs. 1,500 a day. The Palmyrah Products Cooperative Society in Kilinochchi helps in marketing Palmyrah products. A palmyrah tree produces around 15 litres of sap a day during the season from January to July. Handicrafts are made throughout the year. Tapers do other cultivations during the off-season.

The use of conventional methods to extract sap and produce sweet products is a drawback for the industry. New methods should be introduced to increase quality and quantity and ensure a better price for products.

Cargills Agri-foods, DGM, Haridas Fernando said that new technology will be introduced to induce sap and enhance the quality of palmyrah-based products.

The art of tapping and manufacturing palmyrah products is passed down from parents to children. Sustaining the age-old industry is a challenge due to the younger generation moving to more prestigious jobs. Youth do not want to be called tappers. The palmyrah industry would be confined to the older generation if there is no change of attitude and recognition for the industry.

The Palmyrah Development Board conducts awareness programs to educate youth on the potential of the industry. Educating manufacturers on customer requirements is also vital. The male and female palms are used to tap toddy. The drink is distilled to produce jaggery. A kilogram of jaggery is Rs. 500.

The toddy tastes sweet when fresh, but it turns sour when fermentation sets in. A little bit of lime is put into the pot in which the toddy is collected to sweeten the beverage. The sweetened toddy is used to make jaggery.

The Palmyrah Development Board plans to introduce new technology with the support of the private sector to enhance the quality of treacle and jaggery which are considered nutritious and healthy.