Special programme to encourage coconut oil producers

Ramani KANGARAARACHCHI

COLOMBO: The Coconut Development Authority has launched a special programme to encourage coconut oil industrialists in order to supply high quality cocnut oil to the consumers.At a workshop held at the Mahaweli Centre on Wednesday.

Coconut Development Authority Chairman D.J.U. Purasinghe said that a dramatic change in attitudes is required to clear the myths and misbeliefs about use of coconut oil.

He said that the production of coconut oil dropped rapidly since 1985 as a result of unlimited importation of palm oil and people unknowingly started using mixed palm oil with coconut oil at low prices.

There are about 450 coconut oil producers in the country today but their production is not even sufficient for local consumption. He pointed out that the myth created by multinational companies which said coconut oil is not good for the health is now wrong as doctors have confirmed that it was not so.

However, since 2006 the prices of palm oil in the world market has gone up and the demand for coconut oil increased as a result. Purasinghe hoped for an increase of coconut oil production based on these statistics.

He said that there are about 20 million consumers in the country and the Coconut Development Authority would make every effort to supply high quality coconut oil to them through this programme.