Call for broader participation:

Boost toddy industry, say tappers

By Ananda KANNANGARA

Toddy tapping has become the livelihood of over 6,000 families in the Southern Coastal Belt starting from Wadduwa to Beruwala. The industry is also carried out successfully in the Galle and Matara district.

Toddy tapping is a risky job. We frequently hear about untimely deaths of toddy tappers.

Most deaths have taken place during the time when tappers moving from a tree to another with the help of two thick coir ropes.

These coir ropes which are tied between two coconut trees are replaced twice a year with new ropes. Some ropes are destroyed by rats and coots who very frequently climb on to trees to have the taste of fresh toddy.

Sunday Observer last week visited some major toddy tapping areas of Payagala, Wadduwa, Kosgoda, Kalamulla, Katukurunda, Malegoda, Aluthgama, Maggona, Beruwala and Magalkanda in the Southern Coastal belt.

Objective

The objective of the visit was to meet toddy tappers as well as suppliers and also to discuss about the problems they face.

According to elderly toddy tappers who have been tapping trees for the past 45 years, the industry will collapse soon unless assistance is extended by relevant authorities in the State sector.

An old toddy tapper Guneris said when thousands of tappers make a sacrifice to protect the industry, the Board of Directors of the

Co-operative Distillery earn a large sum of money in an irregular manner.

"This group is highly protected by another section with the support of State authorities," he said.

A father of three, 71-year-old Gilbert Silva said he has been engaged in the industry since 1976.

"People in our area gave fresh toddy to the Co-operative Distillery before 2004 and earned a good return, but now the management of the Co-operative Distillery is done by the private sector,".

Former Co-operative Distillery Chairman Kamal Abeygunawardane said majority members of the society have stopped giving their daily collected fresh toddy to the Co-operative Distillery for the past several years.

Faith

"The Society members have lost faith in the present management as they have not settled some of their old dues,".

The Co-operative distillery owe nearly Rs. three million to a large number of members in the Society.

He therefore requested a responsible Provincial or Government Minister who is in-charge of the toddy industry to look in to the grievances of persons who are involved in the industry. The former Chairman also urged responsible authorities to take over the Co-operative Distillery management to the Government and appoint a new Board of Directors. He also ellaborated how the toddy industry was revived by him during his tenure as the President of the Society in 2003 and thanked Kalutara District Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratna for this support extended to toddy producers.

Collected toddy is poured into a barrel in preparation for sale

Kamal Abeygunewardena with a toddy tapper

A toddy manufacturer Karunawathi Gunasekara said she gives her daily collected toddy to the Beruwala Private Distillery as she has no faith in the Co-operative Distillery.

Karunawathi appeals the Co-operative Minister to look into the problems of nearly 3,000 toddy tappers and suppliers and re-establish the Co-operative Distillery under the State supervision.

She further said the Co-operative Distiller owes over

Rs. 40,000 to her, but has not taken any step to settle this amount.

Stopped

A toddy supplier Kamal Dias said since majority toddy suppliers in his area have stopped providing their stuff to the Co-operative Distillery, they now bring low quality raw toddy from Chilaw.

Another toddy tapper Sirisena Hewage (29) said the industry reaches peak operation during the season commencing from February to December every year and they go fishing during the other months.

A toddy tapper Sarath Perera wanted the Government to establish a vinegar making factory, so that small scale toddy producers could sell their stuff to the factory without sending them to the Distillery.

He said such a factory could provide employment to their children.

Special attention

A toddy collector Raju requested President Mahinda Rajapaksa to focus special attention towards their problems at least through District Parliamentarians.

He said Parliamentarians visit their villages only during the election period and make various false promises.

"Majority of our toddy tappers are very poor with no proper housing facilities and therefore I request the authorities to visit our villages and look into our problems".