Pineapple to become a cash crop

Mohamed Maharoof - Kurunegala South group corr.

Pineapples grown in coconut lands as an inter-crop could yield twenty times the investment, North Western Province (NWP) Agriculture Ministry sources said.

If pineapples are cultivated on large-scale, cold storage facilities can be established and value added pineapple products can be introduced to the market. If this is done it would help increase the profits from coconut lands, ensuring more jobs for villagers. This is why pineapple cultivation is to be undertaken on a substantial scale on coconut lands in the Kurunegala district, the sources said.

At present, pineapples are mainly grown in Pannala, Kuliyapitiya, Bingiriya, Damabadeniya and Panduwasnuwara Provincial Secretariat divisions. Coconut land owners in the province will be encouraged to make use of the facilities provided to them to expand the cultivation over a large area, the sources added.