The Coconut Research Institute expected to reach the export target of one million king coconuts at the end of this month with the aim of earning Rs. 100 mn in foreign exchange, the Research Institute said.

The Institute said it was successful in increasing number of nuts to 350,000 during the period.

Main buyers of king coconuts are the Middle Eastern countries while there were considerable demands from Korea, Japan and England, the Institute said.

“At present the agencies depends mainly on the supply of coconuts collected from small cultivators. Therefore the Institute is making arrangements to develop the king coconut cultivation on commercial basis,” the institute said.