On produit du toddy depuis des siècles en Asie du Sud-Est. La FAO étudie les possibilités d'utiliser le toddy comme aliment pour animaux. En septembre-octobre 1996, un expert sri-lankais de cette production s'est rendu au Viet Nam pour partager son expérience avec des agronomes vietnamiens. T.M.W. Pieris, assistant technique principal à l'Institut sri-lankais de recherche sur la noix de coco, a collaboré pendant quatre semaines avec l'Université de l'agriculture et de la foresterie de Hô Chi Minh Ville. Il a dispensé une formation pratique sur la production de toddy et conduit un séminaire sur les techniques d'extraction de la sève du cocotier, auquel ont assisté environ 70 enseignants de l'université.
La extracción del jugo de palma se ha practicado por siglos en el sudeste asiático. La FAO está investigando el potencial del jugo de palma como pienso para animales. Un experto de Sri Lanka en extracción de jugo de palma visitó Viet Nam entre septiembre y octubre de 1996 para compartir sus conocimientos con agrónomos vietnamitas. El Sr. Pieris, asistente técnico principal en el Instituto de Investigación del Coco, de Sri Lanka, estuvo cuatro semanas en la Universidad de Agricultura y Bosques de la Ciudad de Ho Chi Minh. Dio entrenamiento práctico en extracción de jugo de palma y dirigió un seminario sobre la extracción de jugo en palmeras de coco, con interpretación simultánea al vietnamita, al que asistieron alrededor de 70 miembros del personal docente de la universidad.
When the British explorer Captain Cook visited the Indonesian island of Sawu, west of Timor, in September 1770, he found the islanders tapping toddy from the buds of the fan palm and using it as a drink and animal feed. More than 200 years later, toddy tapping is still practised in parts of Southeast Asia.
Researchers from FAO and other institutions are studying the possibility of transferring the technology of toddy tapping to palm-growing countries where the practice is unknown. FAO is investigating the potential of toddy as an animal feed. In this context, in September and October 1996 a Sri Lankan expert in toddy tapping visited Viet Nam to share his knowledge with Vietnamese agriculturists.
In Sri Lankan culture the coconut palm has a prime place and its products are essential in social and religious ceremonies. It is called the "tree of life" and is grown as a plantation crop on more than 400 000 ha and as a domestic tree in almost every garden. The coconut palm is used to produce copra, oil, milk, coconuts and toddy and its products. Sri Lanka has developed an excellent extension service to assist farmers in making the best use of their coconut palms.
With a view to enabling Viet Nam to draw real benefit from toddy tapping of its coconut palms, FAO approached the Coconut Research Institute of Sri Lanka and obtained the services of T.M.W. Pieris, Senior Technical Assistant, under the TCDC/TCCT experts programme. Pieris spent four weeks in Viet Nam at the University of Agriculture and Forestry, Ho Chi Minh City. He provided practical training and also conducted a seminar on toddy tapping of coconut palms, with simultaneous translation into Vietnamese, which was attended by about 70 university staff members.
Pieris's first task was to select suitable trees for use in training. The selection of the palm for tapping is a skill the tapper develops with experience. Once a suitable tree is selected, the tapper has to climb it to reach the spathe (unopened flower) that he or she intends to tap. As tapped trees need to be climbed at least twice a day, a device to facilitate climbing is necessary. In Sri Lanka, segments of coconut husks are fastened along the trunk to serve as a ladder. Tappers working in coconut groves usually harvest 80 to 100 trees a day and often use lengths of coconut fibre ropes slung between trees to cross from one to the next. They let the toddy down on ropes to be received by an assistant on the ground.
Pieris demonstrated to the trainees the operations to be carried out for the first 12 days until the sap begins to drip. A precise sequence of binding, beating and pounding precedes cutting of the apex of the spathe. On about the twelfth day sap begins to flow if the beating and pounding have been carried out properly. The flow generally begins slowly and then increases in volume. A clay pot is attached to the spathe to collect the sap. The pot must be emptied and a thin slice cut from the spathe twice a day, otherwise the yield will diminish. Coconut palms can be tapped for up to eight months of the year if rainfall is sufficient.
T.M.W. Pieris of Sri Lanka (left) advising Vietnamese technicians on
construction of a climbing device for toddy tapping
T.M.W. Pieris, expert sri-lankais (à gauche) conseille des techniciens vietnamiens sur la
fabrication d'un dispositif permettant de grimper pour aller recueillir le vin de palmiste
T.M.W. Pieris, Sri Lanka (izquierda), asesora a técnicos vietnamitas sobre la
construcción de un instrumento para trepar a la palma y extraer el jugo