Good times ahead for kitul tappers

The Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Ministry has launched a programme to develop kitul cultivation and uplift the kitul industry as a traditional industry in Sri Lanka and also to train those engaged in the industry.

Minister Douglas Devananda instructed ministry officials to design a programme to insure all tapper trainers and trainees engaged in the kitul industry.

About 750 persons have now been insured. The cheque for the first life compensation claim of the insurer, Y M P G Karunaratne amounting to Rs 100,000 was handed over to his beneficiaries by Minister Devananda at the ministry recently.

Minister Devananda said it is the duty of the government to protect and develop the kitul industry as a domestic industry.

“The government has allocated Rs 18 million from the budget for the kitul industry. A separate institution to uplift and expand the kitul industry will soon be set up,” the minister said.

Devananda said that though the kitul industry was considered a difficult and risky industry, a ministry survey revealed that a properly trained person could easily earn about Rs 20,000 monthly if the work was carried out attentively.

The minister said that the government was taking steps to export kitul products to the international markets.

Devananda said that the ministry had launched a successful programme to train those engaged in the industry.

“Action has been taken by the IDB to supply safety kits for tappers and to set up kitul centres at divisional secretariat level with equipment necessary to manufacture kitul products,” he said.