Features
Sri Lankan Cocoa – a promising inter-crop with coconut
Sri Lanka’s fame for some of world’s finest cocoa is threatened with the local production volumes declining sharply. Although an ideal inter-crop with coconut, promoting the ecological balance, the disinterest of many local landowners in this wonder crop considered the ‘food of the gods’ is declining at an accelerated pace. We spoke to several Sri Lankan Cocoa enthusiasts who warn that unless urgent interventions are made, Sri Lankan Cocoa is on the path to botanical antiquity.
by Randima Attygalle
Botanically termed Theobroma cacao, the cocoa tree is believed to have originated in the Amazon basin and spread to Central America, largely to Mexico. The natives in this region including Mayans and Olmecs revered it as the ‘food of gods’. Cocoa seeds were used as currency by the Aztecs. By the beginning of the 19th Century, it was introduced to the colonies and was developed in Africa and Asia as a commercial plantation.
Cocoa is mostly processed into chocolate and a wide range of intermediate products such as cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, cocoa cake and raw cocoa powder used in the beverage industry. Cocoa butter is also sought as a base for soap, cosmetics and medicinal products. Its pulp juice is also fermented and used in brandy and wine. The pod husks are used in preparation of animal feed. The husks and shells are also used as a renewable energy source and to produce bio-diesel.
The nutritional value of cocoa is very high. Besides its antioxidant properties, cocoa’s healing properties are many. Research confirms its impact on improving dermal blood flow and the maintenance of skin health. Cocoa butter is used as a home remedy for burns, cough, dry lips and wounds in some leading cocoa producing countries. It is also reported to be antiseptic and diuretic.
Cocoa thrives in deep, well-drained clay loam soils rich in organic matter. The colonial planters found our immature brown loams and reddish brown latosols to be perfect to introduce cocoa to the island. The first cocoa plantation here at home was set up by the British in 1819 in Nalanda, Matale. By 1960 the island claimed 30,000 acres of cocoa. Today, it is reduced to around 5,000 acres, points out the Director General of the Department of Export Agriculture (DEA), Dr. A.P. Heenkenda. “Among the finest plantations we lost was the Pallakelle Esate of Rajawella Plantations, when the Victoria reservoir was built. Today cocoa is largely an intercrop with coconut,” he says. While Matale, Kandy, Badulla, Kurunegala, Kegalle and Monaragala districts are considered the main cocoa growing area, suitable conditions for its growth can be found even in North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Western Provinces.
Cocoa, Dr. Heenkenda explains, is one of the best intercrops that is presently promoted with coconut and rubber. “We have initiated several projects in Kurunegala and Gampaha districts in collaboration with the Coconut Cultivation Board and another in rubber-centric Moneragala.” Despite the ready know-how being available for cocoa cultivation, the attitude of many growers remains very negative, notes Heenkenda. “While cocoa plants can be obtained from the regional plant nurseries affiliated to DEA, technical know-how is available through DEA Extension Officers at Govijana Sewa Centers, Research Stations, District Assistant Directors’ offices and the DEA’s head office in Peradeniya.”
The cocoa market, according to the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) distinguishes three main types of cocoa beans: Forastero or ‘bulk cocoa’ comprising 93.5% of world cocoa production; the specialty beans, often originating from Criollo planting materials which is rare today and Trinitario, a hybrid that originated in Trinidad from crossings between mixed Criollo and mixed Forastero types.
Bernard Minifie in his work Chocolate, Cocoa and Confectionery (Third Edition) documents that Criollo-the original “wild” variety is found in very small proportion of the world supply and is found in Samoa, Java, and Sri Lanka. This ‘small proportion’ the author alludes to is made even smaller today, says Dr. H.M.P.A Subasinghe, Director (Research), Department of Export Agriculture. “Today what we mostly find locally are crosses of Criollo and Forastero types,” he says.
The fine taste in Sri Lankan Cocoa due to its chemical composition and the high butter content, still puts it among the finest cocoa in the world, says Subasinghe. “While the butter content found in many other foreign varieties is between 35 to 45% our cocoa contains more than 50% butter.” Despite the lucrative revenue it promises in the global market, disease control efforts, animals such as monkeys and giant squirrels that feed on cocoa pods, lack of knowledge on canopy management and the insufficient domestic market price per kilo compared to other crops such as cinnamon, pepper etc. drive many cultivators to abandon cocoa and replace them alternatives crops such as pepper or cinnamon, he says.
Many measures have already been taken by DEA to revive an interest in Sri Lankan Cocoa. Introduction of new varieties, production of quality planting material, support for selection of suitable land, providing soil test reports, issuing of planting material free of charge after registration, subsidies for relevant machinery and processing centers, subsidies with the success of cultivation (80% field establishment), planting material for gap filling, training programmes on planting material production, crop management, pest and disease control and post-harvest technology and other technology transfer activities at field level and providing price and market information are among these.
Cocoa is largely encouraged as an intercrop with coconut where ideal soil and other climatic conditions meet, particularly in the Kurunegala District, says Subasinghe. “The difficulties in finding suitable lands for cocoa as a monocrop in ‘traditional cocoa-grown areas’ (such as Matale, Kandy, Badulla etc.) can be mitigated when it’s intercropped with coconut. Moreover, farmers can generate a higher income from unit land area with a two-crop yield.” With unprecedented climate change, the yield in a main crop can also increase due to modification of micro-climate in the crop environment, he says. Inter-cropping also has more potential for soil and soil moisture conservation and creates a certain amount of ecological balance, points out the researcher.
The domestic requirement for cocoa is around 6,000 MT. Yet only around 600 MTs are presently produced locally according to DEA figures. While a kilo of local cocoa beans is sold around Rs. 450, the world cocoa beans price is around 3 US$. In 2019 according to the DEA, 48,887.8 MT of cocoa beans were imported to the country costing Rs. 3.46 billion. Imports are made largely from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Malaysia and Indonesia. Compared to other cocoa exporters, our export figures are negligible points out the DEA. Ivory Coast, Ghana, Ecuador, Cameroon, Nigeria, Indonesia, Brazil, Peru and the Dominican Republic are the major cocoa exporters according to the ICCO.
Cocoa can do wonders to coconut plantations providing organic fertilizer (with the leaves that are shed) and retaining moisture, points out S.M.M Samarakoon, CEO of Kurunegala Plantations Ltd. “Climate change has taken a huge toll on coconuts resulting in immature falling of the nuts and cocoa as an intercrop can help build a micro-climate within a plantation and thereby increase the yield by about 26%,” says this senior planter. It is also a buffer against soil erosion he adds.
Today 35 acres of coconut in Dodangaslanda estates of Kurunegala Plantations Ltd are complemented by cocoa. A fervent supporter of cocoa, Samarakoon urges the responsible state authorities to kindle more interest in the crop among potential cultivators by introducing a national policy and encourage confectioners to support growers as part of their CSR campaigns.
While it takes five to six years for cocoa to bear, it takes five to six months for fruit to mature. A single tree, according to Samarakoon can produce one kilo of processed beans per season and their plantations produce around three tons per year. The life span of a cocoa tree, if managed well, is 30 to 40 years. The harvest depends on the rainfall pattern. Peak harvesting season is usually from July- August. Once cocoa beans are harvested from the pods, they are allowed to naturally ferment over a period of three to four days before they are dried.
While many cultivators who have been discouraged by pests and diseases to which cocoa is prone, including the black pod disease and swollen shoot disease had abandoned most of their cultivation, Samarakoon is positive that if one is really passionate about this crop, there is always a way out. It is also a means of empowering communities at ground level, he believes. “We get the necessary know-how for fighting diseases and for crop management from the DEA and we have also installed a high frequency device to keep the giant squirrels and monkeys away.”
The cocoa beans supply has been declining over the years and in another ten years times, the volumes will deplete further, lament the cocoa bean suppliers to whom we spoke. “It is tragic that when we have some of world’s finest cocoa, there is no state patronage to revive this dying crop,” remarked one of the old hands who lobbies for a wide scale national intervention to replant cocoa and create a dialogue with potential cultivators and offer more incentives and encourage those who are already in the trade by offering a better buying price.
Ceylon Chocolates Ltd (CCL), is the largest buyer of Sri Lankan cocoa in the local market. The company sources cocoa from Matale, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Monaragala and Badulla. “CCL’s factory in Kundasale, housed in one of the prime cocoa-growing regions in the country, is the one and only facility in Sri Lanka equipped with the ‘Beans to Bar’ process,” says Thilan Gunarathne, Plant Manager of CCL in Kundasale. “We are positioned to purchase much larger volumes of local cocoa given the capacity of our processing plant. As a company that prides itself in Sri Lankan empowerment, we urge cultivators to revive their interest in this staple of our chocolates.”
Master chocolatier and internationally renowned patissier Gerard Mendis dreams of manufacturing a ‘100% Sri Lankan Cocoa based chocolate’. “This is my ultimate dream,” says Mendis who has grown up among cocoa and coffee in his ancestral Kandy. A cocoa lover and a farmer in his leisure, Mendis laments that despite the prevalence of ideal growing conditions in the island, cocoa’s decline is fast-tracked with no recognition given to it as a sustainable crop. The connoisseur who had learned the art of gourmet chocolate-making in Switzerland and Belgium, candidly admits that he is yet to taste a type of cocoa superior to ours.
(Photo credit: Department of Export Agriculture & Kurunegala Plantations Ltd)
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There’s an ill more dangerous and pervasive than the Coronavirus that’s currently sweeping Sri Lanka. That is the fear to express one’s convictions. Across the public sector of the country in particular many persons holding high office are stringently regulating and controlling the voices of their consciences and this bodes ill for all and the country.
The corrupting impact of fear was discussed in this column a couple of weeks ago when dealing with the military coup in Myanmar. It stands to the enduring credit of ousted Myanmarese Head of Government Aung San Suu Kyi that she, perhaps for the first time in the history of modern political thought, singled out fear, and not power, as the principal cause of corruption within the individual; powerful or otherwise.
To be sure, power corrupts but the corrupting impact of fear is graver and more devastating. For instance, the fear in a person holding ministerial office or in a senior public sector official, that he would lose position and power as a result of speaking out his convictions and sincere beliefs on matters of the first importance, would lead to a country’s ills going unaddressed and uncorrected.
Besides, the individual concerned would be devaluing himself in the eyes of all irrevocably and revealing himself to be a person who would be willing to compromise his moral integrity for petty worldly gain or a ‘mess of pottage’. This happens all the while in Lankan public life. Some of those who have wielded and are wielding immense power in Sri Lanka leave very much to be desired from these standards.
It could be said that fear has prevented Sri Lanka from growing in every vital respect over the decades and has earned for itself the notoriety of being a directionless country.
All these ills and more are contained in the current controversy in Sri Lanka over the disposal of the bodies of Covid victims, for example. The Sri Lankan polity has no choice but to abide by scientific advice on this question. Since authorities of the standing of even the WHO have declared that the burial of the bodies of those dying of Covid could not prove to be injurious to the wider public, the Sri Lankan health authorities could go ahead and sanction the burying of the bodies concerned. What’s preventing the local authorities from taking this course since they claim to be on the side of science? Who or what are they fearing? This is the issue that’s crying out to be probed and answered.
Considering the need for absolute truthfulness and honesty on the part of all relevant persons and quarters in matters such as these, the latter have no choice but to resign from their positions if they are prevented from following the dictates of their consciences. If they are firmly convinced that burials could bring no harm, they are obliged to take up the position that burials should be allowed.
If any ‘higher authority’ is preventing them from allowing burials, our ministers and officials are conscience-bound to renounce their positions in protest, rather than behave compromisingly and engage in ‘double think’ and ‘double talk’. By adopting the latter course they are helping none but keeping the country in a state of chronic uncertainty, which is a handy recipe for social instabiliy and division.
In the Sri Lankan context, the failure on the part of the quarters that matter to follow scientific advice on the burials question could result in the aggravation of Islamophobia, or hatred of the practitioners of Islam, in the country. Sri Lanka could do without this latter phobia and hatred on account of its implications for national stability and development. The 30 year war against separatist forces was all about the prevention by military means of ‘nation-breaking’. The disastrous results for Sri Lanka from this war are continuing to weigh it down and are part of the international offensive against Sri Lanka in the UNHCR.
However, Islamophobia is an almost world wide phenomenon. It was greatly strengthened during Donald Trump’s presidential tenure in the US. While in office Trump resorted to the divisive ruling strategy of quite a few populist authoritarian rulers of the South. Essentially, the manoeuvre is to divide and rule by pandering to the racial prejudices of majority communities.
It has happened continually in Sri Lanka. In the initial post-independence years and for several decades after, it was a case of some populist politicians of the South whipping-up anti-Tamil sentiments. Some Tamil politicians did likewise in respect of the majority community. No doubt, both such quarters have done Sri Lanka immeasurable harm. By failing to follow scientific advice on the burial question and by not doing what is right, Sri Lanka’s current authorities are opening themselves to the charge that they are pandering to religious extremists among the majority community.
The murderous, destructive course of action adopted by some extremist sections among Muslim communities world wide, including of course Sri Lanka, has not earned the condemnation it deserves from moderate Muslims who make-up the preponderant majority in the Muslim community. It is up to moderate opinion in the latter collectivity to come out more strongly and persuasively against religious extremists in their midst. It will prove to have a cementing and unifying impact among communities.
It is not sufficiently appreciated by governments in the global South in particular that by voicing for religious and racial unity and by working consistently towards it, they would be strengthening democratic development, which is an essential condition for a country’s growth in all senses.
A ‘divided house’ is doomed to fall; this is the lesson of history. ‘National security’ cannot be had without human security and peaceful living among communities is central to the latter. There cannot be any ‘double talk’ or ‘politically correct’ opinions on this question. Truth and falsehood are the only valid categories of thought and speech.
Those in authority everywhere claiming to be democratic need to adopt a scientific outlook on this issue as well. Studies conducted on plural societies in South Asia, for example, reveal that the promotion of friendly, cordial ties among communities invariably brings about healing among estranged groups and produces social peace. This is the truth that is waiting to be acted upon.
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By Sanjeewa Jayaweera
It was on 3rd January 1972 that our family arrived in Karachi from Moscow. Our departure from Moscow had been delayed for a few weeks due to the military confrontation between Pakistan and India. It ended on 16th December 1971. After that, international flights were not permitted for some time.
The contrast between Moscow and Karachi was unbelievable. First and foremost, Moscow’s temperature was near minus 40 degrees centigrade, while in Karachi, it was sunny and a warm 28 degrees centigrade. However, what struck us most was the extreme warmth with which the airport authorities greeted our family. As my father was a diplomat, we were quickly ushered to the airport’s VIP Lounge. We were in transit on our way to Rawalpindi, the airport serving the capital of Islamabad.
We quickly realized that the word “we are from Sri Lanka” opened all doors just as saying “open sesame” gained entry to Aladdin’s cave! The broad smile, extreme courtesy, and genuine warmth we received from the Pakistani people were unbelievable.
This was all to do with Mrs Sirima Bandaranaike’s decision to allow Pakistani aircraft to land in Colombo to refuel on the way to Dhaka in East Pakistan during the military confrontation between Pakistan and India. It was a brave decision by Mrs Bandaranaike (Mrs B), and the successive governments and Sri Lanka people are still enjoying the fruits of it. Pakistan has been a steadfast and loyal supporter of our country. They have come to our assistance time and again in times of great need when many have turned their back on us. They have indeed been an “all-weather” friend of our country.
Getting back to 1972, I was an early beneficiary of Pakistani people’s love for Sri Lankans. I failed the entrance exam to gain entry to the only English medium school in Islamabad! However, when I met the Principal, along with my father, he said, “Sanjeewa, although you failed the entrance exam, I will this time make an exception as Sri Lankans are our dear friends.” After that, the joke around the family dinner table was that I owed my education in Pakistan to Mrs B!
At school, my brother and I were extended a warm welcome and always greeted “our good friends from Sri Lanka.” I felt when playing cricket for our college; our runs were cheered more loudly than of others.
One particular incident that I remember well was when the Embassy received a telex from the Foreign inistry. It requested that our High Commissioner seek an immediate meeting with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr Zulifikar Ali Bhutto (ZB), and convey a message from Mrs B. The message requested that an urgent shipment of rice be dispatched to Sri Lanka as there would be an imminent rice shortage. As the Ambassador was not in the station, the responsibility devolved on my father.
It usually takes about a week or more to get an audience with the Prime Minister (PM) of a foreign country due to their busy schedule. However, given the urgency, my father spoke to the Foreign Ministry’s Permanent Sectary, who fortunately was our neighbour and sought an urgent appointment. My father received a call from the PM’s secretary around 10 P.M asking him to come over to the PM’s residence. My father met ZB around midnight. ZB was about to retire to bed and, as such, was in his pyjamas and gown enjoying a cigar! He had greeted my father and had asked, “Mr Jayaweera, what can we do for great friend Madam Bandaranaike?. My father conveyed the message from Colombo and quietly mentioned that there would be riots in the country if there is no rice!
ZB had immediately got the Food Commissioner of Pakistan on the line and said, “I want a shipload of rice to be in Colombo within the next 72 hours!” The Food Commissioner reverted within a few minutes, saying that nothing was available and the last export shipment had left the port only a few hours ago to another country. ZB had instructed to turn the ship around and send it to Colombo. This despite protests from the Food Commissioner about terms and conditions of the Letter of Credit prohibiting non-delivery. Sri Lanka got its delivery of rice!
The next was the visit of Mrs B to Pakistan. On arrival in Rawalpindi airport, she was given a hero’s welcome, which Pakistan had previously only offered to President Gaddafi of Libya, who financially backed Pakistan with his oil money. That day, I missed school and accompanied my parents to the airport. On our way, we witnessed thousands of people had gathered by the roadside to welcome Mrs B.
When we walked to the airport’s tarmac, thousands of people were standing in temporary stands waving Sri Lanka and Pakistan flags and chanting “Sri Lanka Pakistan Zindabad.” The noise emanating from the crowd was as loud and passionate as the cheering that the Pakistani cricket team received during a test match. It was electric!
I believe she was only the second head of state given the privilege of addressing both assemblies of Parliament. The other being Gaddafi. There was genuine affection from Mrs B amongst the people of Pakistan.
I always remember the indefatigable efforts of Mr Abdul Haffez Kardar, a cabinet minister and the President of the Pakistan Cricket Board. From around 1973 onwards, he passionately championed Sri Lanka’s cause to be admitted as a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and granted test status. Every year, he would propose at the ICC’s annual meeting, but England and Australia’s veto kept us out until 1981.
I always felt that our Cricket Board made a mistake by not inviting Pakistan to play our inaugural test match. We should have appreciated Mr Kardar and Pakistan’s efforts. In 1974 the Pakistan board invited our team for a tour involving three test matches and a few first-class games. Most of those who played in our first test match was part of that tour, and no doubt gained significant exposure playing against a highly talented Pakistani team.
Several Pakistani greats were part of the Pakistan and India team that played a match soon after the Central Bank bomb in Colombo to prove that it was safe to play cricket in Colombo. It was a magnificent gesture by both Pakistan and India. Our greatest cricket triumph was in Pakistan when we won the World Cup in 1996. I am sure the players and those who watched the match on TV will remember the passionate support our team received that night from the Pakistani crowd. It was like playing at home!
I also recall reading about how the Pakistani government air freighted several Multi Barrell artillery guns and ammunition to Sri Lanka when the A rmy camp in Jaffna was under severe threat from the LTTE. This was even more important than the shipload of rice that ZB sent. This was crucial as most other countries refused to sell arms to our country during the war.
Time and again, Pakistan has steadfastly supported our country’s cause at the UNHCR. No doubt this year, too, their diplomats will work tirelessly to assist our country.
We extend a warm welcome to Mr Imran Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He is a truly inspirational individual who was undoubtedly an excellent cricketer. Since retirement from cricket, he has decided to get involved in politics, and after several years of patiently building up his support base, he won the last parliamentary elections. I hope that just as much as he galvanized Sri Lankan cricketers, his political journey would act as a catalyst for people like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene to get involved in politics. Cricket has been called a “gentleman’s game.” Whilst politics is far from it!.
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Believe me, seeing certain videos, on social media, depicting action, on the dance floor, at some of these entertainment venues, got me wondering whether this Coronavirus pandemic is REAL!
To those having a good time, at these particular venues, and, I guess, the management, as well, what the world is experiencing now doesn’t seem to be their concerned.
Obviously, such irresponsible behaviour could create more problems for those who are battling to halt the spread of Covid-19, and the new viriant of Covid, in our part of the world.
The videos, on display, on social media, show certain venues, packed to capacity – with hardly anyone wearing a mask, and social distancing…only a dream..
How can one think of social distancing while gyrating, on a dance floor, that is over crowded!
If this trend continues, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Coronavirus makes its presence felt…at such venues.
And, then, what happens to the entertainment scene, and those involved in this field, especially the musicians? No work, whatsoever!
Lots of countries have closed nightclubs, and venues, where people gather, in order to curtail the spread of this deadly virus that has already claimed the lives of thousands.
Thailand did it and the country is still having lots of restrictions, where entertainment is concerned, and that is probably the reason why Thailand has been able to control the spread of the Coronavirus.
With a population of over 69 million, they have had (so far), a little over 25,000 cases, and 83 deaths, while we, with a population of around 21 million, have over 80,000 cases, and more than 450 deaths.
I’m not saying we should do away with entertainment – totally – but we need to follow a format, connected with the ‘new normal,’ where masks and social distancing are mandatory requirements at these venues. And, dancing, I believe, should be banned, at least temporarily, as one can’t maintain the required social distance, while on the dance floor, especially after drinks.
Police spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana keeps emphasising, on TV, radio, and in the newspapers, the need to adhere to the health regulations, now in force, and that those who fail to do so would be penalised.
He has also stated that plainclothes officers would move around to apprehend such offenders.
Perhaps, he should instruct his officers to pay surprise visits to some of these entertainment venues.
He would certainly have more than a bus load of offenders to be whisked off for PCR/Rapid Antigen tests!
I need to quote what Dr. H.T. Wickremasinghe said in his article, published in The Island of Tuesday, February 16th, 2021:
“…let me conclude, while emphasising the need to continue our general public health measures, such as wearing masks, social distancing, and avoiding crowded gatherings, to reduce the risk of contact with an infected person.
“There is no science to beat common sense.”
But…do some of our folks have this thing called COMMON SENSE!
