KMP established a Coconut Sugar Training Center in January 2018 to train coconut farmers and illegal loggers.

A row of coconut trees line the river and road of Serambut village, in the Pulau Hanaut sub-district. Similar scenery can be seen in the 11 neighbouring communities, covering an area of almost 20,000 hectares, just across the river from the Katingan Mentaya Project (KMP) area. Villagers make their livelihood by selling coconut fruit or processing them into copra (dried meat or kernel of coconut). However, because the prices of coconut fruit and copra are not stable, along with the lack of alternative occupations, some turned to illegal logging. Anang, 43, who has more than 300 coconut trees in the field behind his house, was one of those illegal loggers.

One alternative occupation is to produce coconut palm sugar from coconut trees, which has been done by the neighbouring villagers of Basawang. Coconut sugar, a natural sweetener, is produced from the sap of the flower bud stem of the coconut palm. The simple process produces not only sweet sugar but also bitter and sour ones. Even with a relatively low standard of quality, the sugar is well received in the market. Taking into consideration the potential of palm sugar in Hanaut and market demand, KMP established a Coconut Sugar Training Center in January 2018 to train coconut farmers and illegal loggers such as Anang. The activity is expected to reduce illegal logging by creating jobs in palm sugar production of a higher quality and durability, and free from preservatives. KMP is also providing marketing assistance under the brand “Mentaya Sweet”. Until now, the center has trained 16 students. The plan is to train 335 new students over the next two years and a further 560 by 2022. KMP is committed to continue innovating and developing community-based coconut industry. ​