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by Richard de Silva

For the first time in Sri Lanka, Drip Irrigation System will be employed to develop the coconut industry. This scheme will increase the productivity and the production of the coconut plantations. Ministry of Plantation Industries, Lakshman Kiriella having studied the benefits of Drip Irrigation has recommended to the government to use this system which has proved a great success in India, and other coconut growing countries. For this purpose a sum of Rs. 1000 million is available on an Indian line of credit.

On the Minister's instructions 5000 acres of coconut will be brought under drip irrigation next year and another 5000 acres in 2004.

Multi-faceted crash programme to save the coconut industry is being implemented by the Ministry of Plantation Industries. This programme involves the introduction of new systems of irrigation, fertilizer application, water conservation, incentives for replanting new plantations, homegarden planting, productivity improvements and various subsidy schemes to coconut cultivators. The subsidies that had been withdrawn by the former PA government has been reintroduced.

Concerned minister

With the assuming of duties as Minister of Plantation Industries, Lakshman Kiriella was seriously concerned with the plight of the rubber and the coconut industries. He first tackled the rubber industry by getting Sri Lanka to sponsor a conference in Colombo of the largest producers of natural rubber in the world.

Sunil de Silva, Secretary-General of the World Natural Rubber Producers' Association having headquarters in Malaysia summoned the members to Colombo in late April 2002 at which certain decisions were made. Prices started to move up gradually since then. From Rs. 35 per kilo of sheet rubber in April this year, the price has gone up to over Rs. 80% per kilo now and the rubber industry is doing well now.

This year the coconut production has dropped to an estimated low level of 2.3 billion nuts which is a crisis for the industry. This is a shortfall of 25% of the previous year. This shortfall has a devastating effect on the whole industry and the consumer. The unprecedented high prices of coconuts have also caused problems to the government which is striving to reduce the cost of living.

The coconut based industries such as DC industry are operating at about 50 per cent of the capacity. Minister Kiriella addressing the Coconut Growers Association recently said that maintaining coconut prices to the satisfaction of the grower, the consumer and the industry was not an easy task for the politicians. However, if the industry is to be developed our coconut prices should be at level which could compete in the world market. For this purpose we have to, not only cut the production costs but also increase production and the productivity.

Development

In order to overcome the present situation the Plantation Ministry has embarked on a crash program involving a series of short-term measures. Coconut Cultivation Board (CCB) on the instructions of the Minister is granting subsidies under several schemes to assist coconut growers to increase productivity.

Required guidance and technical advice are provided by the officers of the Board.

More than 90 percent of the CESS allocation for this year, amounting to Rs. 185 million, has been provided for the development of coconut cultivation. Subsidies for replacement of dead palms and moisture conservation amount to Rs. 36 million.

The Ministry also expanded the fertilizer subsidy by allocating Rs. 65 million, under which a fertilizer price subsidy of Rs. 2750 per metric ton have been introduced.

Under "Kapruka Ayojana" credit scheme another Rs. 61 million have been allocated. With the use of subsidised fertilizer the coconut yield is expected to go up and the shortfall in production could be eliminated. Minister Lakshman Kiriella addressing coconut growers a few weeks ago explained "Our producer prices are 3 to 4 times higher than that of international prices. We must endeavour to bring down cost of production and enhance the productivity of land under coconut and it will be a revolutionary change".

Important factors

He further stressed "The productivity enhancement requires three important factors; the technology, capital investment and management. Coconut growers should also change their mind-set on the coconut estate from one which produces only coconut to a coconut based farm where coconut is grown on an integrating system where intercrops, animal husbandry etc. could be introduced on one's coconut plantation. This could ensure good profitability.

Under this crash programme the coconut growers are now enjoying various incentives and subsidy schemes, some of which were withdrawn by the previous government.

A replanting subsidy of Rs. 15,500 per acre and a new planting subsidy of Rs. 16,000 per acre are available to coconut growers.

Under the new planting subsidy, lands which are hitherto not planted with coconuts, located in climatically suitable areas for coconut cultivation, are eligible for new planting subsidy of Rs. 16,000 per acre. A moisture conservation subsidy of Rs. 2,500 per acre is available. One of the main factors influencing the coconut yield is the soil moisture right throughout the year. There also should be adequate moisture round the palm in order to derive the benefits of manuring. For this purpose Drip Irrigation system can be used to provide moisture around palms during drought periods.

Coconut industry

Fertilizer application can be effectively managed with Drip Irrigation system according to chairman of the Coconut Cultivation Board, Mr. Lincoln Fernando who studied the benefits of Drip Irrigation in productivity improvement in Coconut Cultivations after visiting India, said, that he saw how the Drip Irrigation system is applied in the Coconut plantations where intercrops such as banana, pineapple, papaya, pepper, clove, nutmeg, etc. are planted to increase the profitability from the coconut estates.

According to Minister Kiriella, the coconut industry too will be developed fully within the next few years and the coconut growers will enjoy improved productivity, because of this crash programme, new irrigation systems and the subsidy schemes.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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