In terms of the Coconut Development Authority Act No 46 of 1971, subsequent amendment Act No 40 of 1987 and the extraordinary gazette notification No. 69/4 of 31/12/1978, the CDA has been vested with powers and functions in the industry to be it's apex body which will provide governance, guidelines, technology, approval for projects & programmes and fund management of the CDA as well as for the other affiliated co-groups in the industry.

It also has powers for direct operational functions and responsibilities of supervision, development and facilitation of the industrial processing and that involves small, medium and large scale of industries. In addition to that, the marketing role of the CDA is more significant and it activates both local and international markets. In this mandate, CDA assists to manufacture and to provide market opportunities for coconut products. To achieve this objective, the CDA coordinates its stakeholders including government institutions, private sector organisations, growers, industrialists, banks, general public, etc.

Main Functions

The functions of the Authority as provided in the Coconut Development Act are broadly as follows:

• To assist the Minister in the formulation of policy and in the determination of development priorities in respect of the coconut industry and economic utilisation in and for coconut plantations.
• To formulate or assist in the formulation of projects and schemes in accordance with the development priorities so determined.
• To implement or assist in the implementation of the projects and schemes so formulated.
• To coordinate the activities of the Board established by the Minister under the Coconut Development Act.

The goals of the CDA as defined in section 20 of the Coconut Development Act, have been assigned to the Authority, by order published in the Gazette, vesting responsibility for supervision and development of all activities connected with industrial processing, domestic and export marketing of coconut and coconut products.

• The manufacture and assistance in and promotion and regulation of the manufacture of coconut products.
• The promotion of new techniques in the processing of coconut products.
• The promotion and direction of the modernisation and assistance in increasing the efficiency of establishments which engage in manufacturing coconut products.
• The prescription and maintenance of standards of quality of coconut products manufactures in or exported from Sri Lanka.
• The purchase and sale and the regulation of the purchase and sale of coconut products and the formulation or implementation of minimum and maximum price schemes and price stabilization schemes for coconut products in general and for small holders of coconut products, in general.
• The export and import and the regulation of the export and import and of the export price and import price of coconut products.
• The maintenance, promotion, and creation of demand for coconut products, both within and outside Sri Lanka, by advertising, initiating, financing, supporting, and supervising, promotional work, by establishing, managing, supervising, and supporting sales rooms and agencies, by organising, assisting, and participating in exhibitions and fairs an by other means necessary for this purpose.
• The conducting of market research into all aspects of the transport and marketing of coconut products within and outside of Sri Lanka.
• The promotion of cooperation and collective forms of management and ownership of coconut plantations and establishments manufacturing or trading in coconut products.

Since the liberalization of the Coconut trade in late 1980s the main activities of the Authority are focused on the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes for the promotion and development of processing and marketing sectors, with special emphasis on the export sector.

The CDA is intimately linked in assisting the Ministry of Plantation Industries to resolve the policy matters that are relating to the development of coconut industry such as:

• Introducing Import Tariffs on coconut based products and substitutes such as vegetable oil.
• Managing supply, demand and prices of coconuts and coconut based products for domestic consumptions and for industrial processing.

Major Activities

• Inspecting processing units and sampling coconut products to ensure maintenance of required standards.
• Testing samples of coconut products drawn from export consignments to ensure maintenance of required quality standards.
• Issuing quality certificates for export consignments.
• Providing technical assistance to improve the quality of coconut products.
• Providing technical assistance and financial assistance to bring up to date and modernize the processing factories.
• Providing technical assistance and financial assistance to manufacture the value-added coconut products.
• Providing current market information to the trade and industry, regarding coconut and coconut based products.
• Facilitating internal and export marketing channels through conducting auctions for coconut and for copra.
• Promoting the export of coconut products through participation in trade fairs, exhibitions, etc.

Our Goals

• To achieve value-added content contributing to at least 4% of GDP.
• To achieve a product market diversification of high quality product, reaching the global market.
• To increase total annual foreign exchange earnings from export of coconut products.
• To ensure a sustainable Return On Investment to growers, manufacturers and industrialists who engage in all coconut based products.

Our Objectives

• To assist and advise the Minister and the Ministry in the formulation of policy and in the determination of development priorities in respect of the Coconut Industry.
• To develop the Coconut industry, to become commercially viable and sustainable in the long term.
• To ensure the availability of household requirements of coconuts and coconut oil, at reasonable prices.
• To maximize availability of coconuts for industrial processing by minimizing waste in domestic consumption.
• To achieve maximum product-market diversification in manufacture and export of coconut products.
• To obtain maximum foreign exchange earnings from export of coconut products.

Our Strategies

• Ensure remunerative prices for Coconuts to Farmers and Coconuts at reasonable prices for Industry and Consumers.
• Eliminate waste in household use of coconuts.
• Improve productivity and competitiveness of coconut processing industries.
• Develop and introduce new, vallue-added coconut products for commercial manufacture and marketing.
• Continuous updating and modernization of Coconut Based Industries.
• Promote further value addition in export of Coconut Based Industries.
• Introduce and promote a more techno-economically appropriate process for manufacture of milling grade and edible grade copra.
• Promote manufacture of white coconut oil conforming to edible grade standards.
• Promote consumer packaging of edible grade coconut oil in oil processing units.
• Promote manufacture of value added kernel products and sap products for domestic market and for export.
• Ensure maintenance of quality standards in manufacture and export of coconut products.
• Certify and guarantee the quality of coconut products manufactured for export and for domestic use.
• Obtain best export prices for coconut products.
• Achieve wider product-market diversification.
• Ensure customer satisfaction in export of coconut products.
• Supervision and monitoring of the processing and marketing sectors.
• Establishment of regional offices at the Coconut Triangle and the Mini Triangle in order to ensure taking care of the Industry islandwide.