Palmyra industrial estate coming up in Jaffna

Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda said he will set up an Industrial Estate in Jaffna Peninsula to produce Palmyra related products.

The Minister was speaking at a ceremony to plant 500,000 palmyra seedlings at Skanthavarodaya Primary School last week.

The ceremony had been organized to mark the initiative taken by the Palmyra Development Board to plant 500,000 Palmyra seedlings with the assistance of the World Food Program (WFP) taking into consideration the mass destruction of palmyra palm during the 30 year conflict.

Minister Devananda said that it was a special day for Jaffna as a positive attempt had been made for the revival of palmyra vegetation in the peninsula.

He said that the war had been instrumental for the destruction of the palmyra palm as well.

The Minister noted with regret the sharp decline of palmyra related products which constituted the sole source of income of the majority of the people of Jaffna.

He emphasized the necessity of developing palmyra cultivation to uplift the career prospects of this people. He said Rs 15 million had been granted for tree planting in Jaffna, and out of which Rs 5 million had been set aside for planting of palmyra seedlings in the whole peninsula.

Planting of palmyra seedlings would be carried out at Divisional Secretariat Divisional level with the assistance of the World Food Program.

He told families participating at the palmyra planting program, dry rations would be issued by the WFP and that each family was expected to plant 21 seedlings per day.

A sales outlet for marketing of palmyra related products in every district would be established, the Minister added.

The ceremony had been organized by Palmyra Development Board. WFP Jaffna Permanent Representative Chandrahasan Devadas said that the WFP would be providing with 100 metric tons of dry rations for this purpose.