Coconut growers urge long-term development plan

Hiran H. Senewiratne

COCONUT INDUSTRY: The Coconut Growers' Association of Sri Lanka (CGA) urges the Government to draft a long-term sustainable development plan for the coconut industry to increase yields and return on investment of the growers.

At present coconut owners/ growers are compelled to fragment their lands due to the low return on investment and the absence of a long-term sustainable plan in the country, CGA President Nimal Samarakkody said.

He said an anti fragmentation law was brought into play for the purpose of controlling the fragmentation of fertile coconut land taking place at an alarming pace over the last decade.

Currently the return on investment in the country is below the accepted standards. This is due to the high fertiliser price and a lack of incentives has discouraged growers from going for long-term investments.

Further, 70 per cent of the coconut growers belong to the smallholder category and they do not apply fertiliser on time. These smallholders do not have a proper incentive scheme or a confidence building scheme from the government, Samarakkody explained.

Samarakkody said that it is time to have a long-term sustainable policy to improve the productivity and go for long term investments in coconut estates in the country. The Government should take positive steps to improve the product incentivisation schemes to improve the productivity in coconut land.

The Anti segmentation Act should be in position as a way forward strategy to make the industry economically viable, he said.