Rs. 5.2 b provided to develop coconut industry

Anjana SAMARASINGHE

COCONUT: Ministry of Coconut Development has received Rs. 5200 million from a donor group to develop the industry this year.

Minister of Coconut Development Salinda Dissanayake said that they will receive USD 600 million next year from the same donor group to develop coconut industry in a workshop organised by the Coconut Development Authority for industrialists in copra and coconut oil manufacturing which was held yesterday.

We have allocated Rs 20 million for copra and coconut oil industry development. These funds will be disbursed in the form of grants among the industrialists to uplift the industry, Minister said.

At present oil millers have to compete with imported palm oil and ministry expects to increase the 3% cess to 6% which has imposed for import of palm oil. This will be increased up to 10% in the near future, Minister said.

Ministry also focuses on palm cultivation in Sri Lanka and Cabinet papers regarding this will be prepared in next week.

Lack of sufficient coconut production is a major problem for the coconut based industries such as coconut oil and copra. In India per year one coconut tree provides nearly 80 nuts but in Sri Lanka it is 40 nuts. This is mainly due to lesser application of fertilizer.

We will initiate a program to assign officials to monitor coconut lands, bigger than 10 arcs to guide planters on maintaining plantation for higher coconut production. This service will be provide for free of charge, minister said.

Minister expects to take the committee for controlling which functions presently under another body fragmentation of coconut lands under the ministry to minimize the fragmentation of coconut lands.

Plans also been made to plant over three million coconut plants by end of this year. Ministry also aims to cultivate coconut in 20,000 acres each year.