Nipa Sugar: Conservation, Culture and Community Enterprise

“Soft in texture, sweet and savoury, with a yellowish-brown colour”—an initial impression after tasting cooked nipa palm sap.

Nipa (Nypa fruticans) is a palm that grows in mangrove forests and coastal tidal areas. It can reach 7 metres in height, with flower stalks up to 1 metre long. Nipa helps maintain coastal ecosystem stability by binding sediment, stabilising the substrate and supporting water quality in mangrove areas. These functions help protect land from erosion and saltwater intrusion.

Nipa fruit, also known locally as tematu

Nipa also provides shelter and breeding habitat for fish, crabs and birds within mangrove ecosystems. Protecting it contributes to biodiversity conservation, coastal sustainability and climate change mitigation.

Culture and Food

Nipa has long played cultural, social and economic roles in Riau. Earlier generations used it in traditional ceremonies such as menyemah laut and in Malay houses, including leaf roofing and kajang walls. Leaves are also woven into mats and bags for household use or sale. These practices continue, with new designs and products helping maintain public interest.

Nipa leaves used for roofing

Nipa has also long been used as food through traditional processing, although its potential remains underdeveloped. Local knowledge includes processing fruit into flour, dodol and preserved sweets, while tapped sap can be made into jam, liquid sugar and confectionery.

Nipa Sugar and Capacity Building for Mangrove Conservation Groups

The abundance of nipa along Riau’s coast offers opportunities for food production at a larger scale. This could support food diversification, long-term food security, local income and coastal conservation while recognising the needs of coastal communities.

Opening the nipa sugar processing training at Buruk Bakul Village’s meeting hall

Mulyadi, Director of Yayasan Gambut, explained that a major conservation challenge is finding ways to maintain and improve the quality of life of communities around forests and coastal areas. In response, the foundation is exploring nipa sap as an economically valuable non-timber forest product.

Cooking nipa sap into sugar during the training

“We are developing the supply and value chains for products made from nipa sap. We have identified ways to reach markets, but product quality still needs improvement,” Mulyadi said at the opening in Buruk Bakul, Bengkalis Regency.

On 26 April 2025, Yayasan Gambut and Global Environment Centre (GEC) held nipa sugar processing training in Buruk Bakul through the Community-Based Mangrove Protection and Planting programme in Buruk Bakul and Kelapa Pati, supported by Aramco Asia Singapore. The 47 participants came from the Parit Seghagah Group in Kelapapati, Sekat Bakau in Buruk Bakul, KTH Sepahat Hijau in Sepahat, the Makmur Jaya Women Farmers’ Group in Temiang, Bahtera Melayu, the Buruk Bakul Village Government, the Pesisir Riau Lestari Group in Sungai Selari, and Bandar Bakau’s Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis) in Dumai.

Field practice in tapping nipa sap

Participants learned about nipa ecology, effective sap-tapping techniques and sugar processing. Facilitators included Amrul Khori and Joni Irawan from the Faculty of Agriculture at Universitas Riau, together with Nurbati, a traditional nipa sugar producer from Kubu Village, Rokan Hilir. Classroom learning was followed by field practice in mangrove areas, collecting good-quality sap and processing it into traditional sugar.

Nipa sap after approximately 30 minutes of cooking

The training introduced an environmentally responsible livelihood option linked to mangrove conservation. The skills gained are expected to open economic opportunities while strengthening ecosystem protection in Bengkalis and surrounding areas. Yayasan Gambut thanks the participants, facilitators and partners who contributed to building more resilient and empowered coastal communities.

The following local verses accompany traditional nipa tapping practices:

“Anak ayam ciap–ciap

Ciap ciap di atas batang

Ontok ontok diam diam

Pagi potang omak datang”

(A verse recited while tapping the nipa fruit stalk, evoking chirping chicks waiting quietly for their mother.)

“Buai buah tematu kubuai bukak pintu

Kubuai la kau tematu anak yatim nak menyusu”

(A verse recited while rocking the nipa fruit, using the image of gently cradling a child.)