Insect plague hits Southern coconut cultivation

Uditha Kumarasinghe, Irangika Range and Sandasen Marasinghe

Plantation Industries Minister D.M. Jayaratne said in Parliament yesterday that the transport of palm trees to and from the Southern Province has been banned as coconut trees in the province had been affected by an unidentified insect menace.

The Minister said owing to the insect menace, more than 10,000 coconut trees in the Southern Province have been destroyed and the authorities are conducting a research.

The Minister further said the insect menace was caused by illegal import of Palm trees. He also said that the ban has been imposed by a Gazzette notification.

He made this observation in response to a question raised by an opposition member in connection with the increase in coconut prices, while answering an oral question raised by Matale Parliamentarian Ranjith Aluvihare.