Ministry to counter negative trend of coconut industry

S M Wijayaratne- Kurunegala Daily News Corr

The Coconut Development and Janatha Estates Development Ministry has taken steps to cultivate nine million coconut seedlings this year throughout the country to counter the negative trend of the coconut industry.

A large number of coconut trees have been felled by private firms that sell coconut estates in small plots.

About 500,000 coconut trees are reported to have been felled indiscriminately in past 10 years, Coconut Estates Development ministry sources said.

Small Scale estate owners will be provided seedlings free. About 1,500 awareness programmes and 1,200 training programmes for coconut growers will be held islandwide to popularize the coconut industry.

The government has allocated Rs 15,000 million to develop the coconut industry.

School gardens and uncultivated lands belonging to the government firms and institutions will be utilized for this, said Kurunegala District Coconut Development Officer R M Gunaratna.

He said subsidy schemes with expertise would be carried out to induce coconut growers. Rs 12,000 million will be granted as subsidies this year.

Carbonic manure manufacturing techniques will be offered to coconut estate owners.

About 150 new trainee coconut development officers will be recruited within next two years, Coconut Development Officer said.