Coconut-based exports have surpassed USD 1 billion in 2025 and are expected to close the year at around USD 1.2 billion, a substantial increase from USD 800 million in 2024, representing over 40% year-on-year growth.
In a statement, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Chathuranga Abeysinghe, said this marks a major milestone for Sri Lanka’s coconut industry.
“The primary constraint facing further expansion remains nut productivity. Recognising this, the Government initiated several structural interventions in 2025 to improve crop productivity and expand coconut cultivated land. However, these measures will yield results only over the medium to long term. In the short term, the critical lever available in 2025 was behavioural change in domestic consumption,” he said.
Explaining further, Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe outlined the measures taken in this regard.
- More efficient household usage of coconuts
- Adoption of alternative products for daily consumption
- Use of simple technologies to reduce domestic waste
He further said that, simultaneously, the Government enabled coconut exporters to import coconut milk and kernel-based products strictly for re-export purposes.
“While only minimal quantities were imported, this timely policy decision ensured no shortage in the local market, while safeguarding the momentum of the export industry,” he said.
Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe noted that this achievement reflects the collective determination of the industry and the coordinated efforts of the Plantation Ministry, Ministry of Industries, Export Development Board, and most importantly, the citizens of Sri Lanka, who understood the scientific basis for redirecting wasted domestic consumption towards higher value exports.
Pointing out that the coconut sector has now emerged as a strategic export crop, he said that with ongoing productivity reforms and sustained market development, Sri Lanka has the potential to reach USD 2.5 billion in coconut-based exports by 2030, emphasizing that the nation was firmly on track to achieve it. (Newswire)
