Caryota urens species is a solitary-trunked tree that measure up to 12 m (39 ft) in height and up to 30 cm (12 in) wide. Widely-spaced leaf-scar rings cover its gray trunk which culminate in a 6 m (20 ft) wide, 6 m tall leaf crown. The bipinnate leaves are triangular in shape, bright to deep green, 3.5 m (11 ft) long, and held on 60 cm (24 in) long petioles. The obdeltoid pinnae are 30 cm long with a pointed edge and a jagged edge.

The 3 m (9.8 ft) long inflorescences emerge at each leaf node, from top to bottom, producing pendent clusters of white, unisexual flowers. The fruit matures to a round, 1 cm (0.39 in) drupe, red in color with one seed. Like all Caryotas, the fruit contains oxalic acid, a skin and membrane irritant. As these plants are monocarpic, the completion of the flower and fruiting process results in the death of the tree. Elephants love this plant - both leaf & the pulp. Toddy is extracted from the inflorescence, and is considered some what powerful compared to toddy extracted from few other palm trees. Pulp of the fully grown up plant is cut, sun dried, powdered and is edible. This powder is considered cool and nutritius in Coastal districts of Karnataka.

Sweet, kitul treacle and brown jaggery are national treats. Few desserts taste better than a dish of fresh, white buffalo curd sitting in a pool of smooth treacle. And kiribath with scrapings of soft, melting jaggery is another real winner.

But are we now witnessing a slow death of kitul products due to a dramatic reduction in the number of traditional kitul tappers? Or will local scientists and a focused government initiative succeed in reversing the trend and in making kitul an international treat?

Kitul products are today relatively scarce in the marketplace. What is available is expensive. At the same time, high price is no guarantee of quality. For years, producers have been adulterating both treacle and jaggery with common cane sugar.

Yet, there is enormous potential in kitul sap. Its unique flavour and high sugar concentration lends it a remarkable versatility. Cashing in on these properties, scientists at the Industrial Technology Institute’s (ITI) food development section are now creating a variety of other products from kitul sap: jellies, marmalade, bread-spreads, yoghurts, ready-to-serve drinks and cordials. But will there be enough sap to go around?

Kitul is a cottage industry, often involving whole family units. There is even a special caste, hakuru, which makes its living from kitul tapping and jaggery making. Studies have shown that people with indigenous knowledge of kitul tapping are reluctant to share their skill with outsiders. They may transfer instructions from generation to generation but the total number of tappers has been steadily declining. Many others don’t really know the techniques but nevertheless dabble in tapping because there’s good money in kitul.

B W Dissanayake, who has studied the use of kitul in Sri Lanka, describes the manner in which tapping is typically done: "When the flower appears, it is tapped before it reaches maturity. The art of tapping a Caryota urens (kitul) flower is very much a village craft requiring a high degree of traditional expertise.

"A long bamboo pole is erected along the trunk with suitable support to reach the crown. The selected flower is prepared for tapping first by beating it with a stone or wood and then tied with a string in several places to keep it in proper shape.

"A concoction made of herbs, ash and salt is then applied to the end of the flower, where a fine angular slash is made. Tapping begins 3-4 days after this application; a big earthen pot is placed at the end of the flower to collect the sap."

Using existing methods, producers were able to extract only 20 to 30 per cent of sap per flower. At the same time, many trees have fallen to neglect. Low yield, combined with less tappers, has been threatening the survival of the industry.

In a small upstairs laboratory at the ITI, Dr Sirimal Premakumara of the natural products development group speaks about the success of a special scientific initiative. He and his team have developed a mixture of common food additives that, when applied to the kitul flower, greatly increases sap production.

The liquid -- a combination of table salt, a vitamin (found in fruit) and a hormone inducer -- is injected through a slit in the stem of the flower. The stalk is then wrapped tightly for three days after which the flower is ready for tapping. Essentially, the treatment slows the maturation of the flower and sustains sap production for a longer period of time.

"Tests have proved the mixture to be nearly 100 per cent successful," said Premakumara, who is a natural chemist. "We can increase sap production in a single flower by two to three-fold and overall productivity in the industry by 800 to 900 per cent. It replaces the local paste that tappers had been using and is completely harmless."

The project was the result of a 2003 proposal made to the ministry of rural economy (now the ministry of small and rural industries). The ITI wanted to help save and develop the kitul industry. Their idea was to promote the sale of kitul products in both the local and international markets.

"The Export Development Board was also interested in uplifting the industry," recalled Premakumara, who fielded the proposal. "In December 2003, we secured nearly three million rupees from the government for this project. We started with field studies to gather available data."

The ITI team’s focus was four villages in Deraniyagala, Kotmale, Athweltota and Sinharaja. Kitul trees grow in the wild and in home gardens. Sinharaja is particularly famous. The Forest Department has a scheme by which tappers are allocated a specific plot of forest within which they are licensed to tap the kitul trees. In exchange, they must prevent felling of trees and other illegal activity in the area under their purview.

To their shock, the ITI researchers found that tappers were applying various products to the kitul stem in an effort to increase sap production. "They were using certain acids," Premakumara noted. "Even battery dust or carbon`85 and some solutions that are used in the rubber industry. It had become a real problem."

"We decided to formulate a mixture that could induce sap secretion," Premakumara related. "Our treatment was produced within eight months and ensures continuous sap production. With it, a man can tap a single flower for at least three months. A skilful tapper, who slices the ends of the flower thinly and patiently, can stretch this to even six months."

Premakumara and his team held a series of workshops to transfer the technology. At present, nearly every tapper in the four villages uses the new procedure.

The government has taken the initiative further in what is a continuation of a village development scheme started by the previous UNP regime. The ministry of small and rural industries has identified 14 settlements around the country to be promoted as "kitul villages". By 2005, each will have a central processing unit -- a factory -- to turn out kitul products like treacle and jaggery. These will be owned by the villagers. Their families will work within the enterprise.