Supporting coconut farmers

As one of the world’s largest exporters of coconut milk powder, we indirectly purchase over 90 million coconuts annually from over 8,000 Sri Lankan farming families. In 2024, our total payout to local suppliers for coconut came to Rs. 9.6 billion.

We have conducted Coconut Development Programmes in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Coconut Cultivation Board (CCB) since 2016 with the aim of supporting coconut cultivation and rural farming livelihoods, addressing the irregular coconut supply in the country.

Up until now, this programme has supported 5,000 coconut farmers and home-growers with 25,000 coconut plantlets. The programme encourages and supports coconut cultivation by small-holder rural farmers as well as home growers in their home gardens, both within the traditional coconut triangle and in the new experimental coconut growing areas.

This programme is separate to the company’s commercial sourcing of coconut and is focusing purely on developing coconut supply to meet domestic consumption needs.