Toddy tapping season begins

K.A. Perera

WADDUWA: The toddy-tapping season for this year in the Kalutara District began in April creating employment for about 10,000 people from Panadura to Aluthgama in the coastal belt.

The toddy contractors said this industry is facing a threat due to lack of coconut trees for tapping. Contractors have to pay more than Rs. 500 per each tree, and even the small-holders of coconut land are reluctant to give trees for tapping as they could earn a higher income by selling nuts.

The toddy contractors find it difficult to carry on the industry unless the government increases the rate of payment per litre.

The prices of material used for coupling of trees too have gone up and wages of labourers have increased.

The fragmentation of coconut land between Panadura and Beruwala have severely affected the industry.

The Government should enforce rigid laws to prevent fragmentation of coconut land for sale. The toddy tappers also complain that there is a shortage of toddy-tappers in the Kalutara district as a result the toddy industry has been badly affected.

Earlier there was a proposal to open a centre to train youth as trainees in toddy tapping in Kalutara. But the project has not been implemented.

A toddy tapper could easily earn more than Rs. 15,000 per month although the job is risky.

The tsunami tidal wave too had withered the coconut trees and some trees had uprooted. A large number of fishermen who had been engaged in fishing, have found employment in the toddy industry.