COLOMBO, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- In 2025, Sri Lanka's export earnings from coconuts and coconut-based products exceeded 1 billion U.S. dollars for the first time on record, according to official data.
Export Development Board (EDB) data shows that export revenue from coconuts and related products reached 1.0339 billion dollars between January and October 2025, marking a 43.83-percent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Officials said the milestone was driven by a strategic shift toward value-added exports rather than raw coconuts. Products such as liquid coconut milk, virgin coconut oil, coconut cream, desiccated coconut, activated carbon, and coco peat have seen strong growth amid rising global demand.
Coconut-based products now account for 7.2 percent of Sri Lanka's total exports, EDB data shows.
The government aims to raise coconut export earnings to 2.5 billion dollars by 2030. As part of this plan, it has launched the "Northern Coconut Triangle" initiative and plans to cultivate 36,000 new acres of coconut plantations, including 16,000 acres in the north. ■
