Sweet success from sale of nectar
MARANG: The sweet taste of business success comes to the folk of Kampung Batu Putih, here, every Ramadan.
This is when the demand for “nira kelapa”, the nectar from the shoot of the coconut palm, increases by up to five times.
A collector and seller of the ambrosia, Ismail Sulaiman, 60, said he is now selling up to 40 litres a day.
“However, stock is limited, so I give priority to customers who book early,” he said.
Ismail said he even had to refuse orders for the “nira kelapa”, also known colloquially as “tuak”, from retailers.
“There is not enough to go around at this time,” he said.
At the retail outlet, a 500ml bottle of the nectar sells for RM5 to RM7, but Ismail, who is affectionately known as Pok Nasir, sells it in 1.5-litre bottles for RM11 each.
He claimed the “nira kelapa” from Kampung Batu Putih is better because there are more minerals in the soil in the village.
A total of 40.5ha in the village has been dedicated to the cultivation of coconut palms just for its nectar under its “cluster land plan”.
A total of 100 villagers are involved in the project. The plantation produces about 300 litres of the nectar a day.
Dataran Batu Putih chairman Noor Azman Hasan said all 100 participants of the plan have agreed to set up a cooperative to help them boost sale.
There are plans to set up a one-stop collection centre, complete with a high-tech freezer to ensure there is sufficient supply to last the month of Ramadan.
Noor Azman said demand has come in from Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Selangor but they are not able to make any commitment because there is no systematic storage facility. - Bernama