Measures to increase coconut palm growth

Ishara Mudugamuwa

The Coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development Ministry has taken measures to increase coconut palm plantations to assure long term sustainability of achieving sufficient nuts to cater to both the coconut consumer and processor demands, Coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development Minister Jagath Pushpakumara said. Accordingly the Ministry has projected to plant 32 million coconut seedlings by 2016 he said.

The minister said that measures have been taken to generate new technologies and to improve existing technologies, to meet changing needs and ensure sustainable development of the coconut industry.

“The ministry has already taken measures to increase coconut production by breeding new high yielding and early bearing varieties and those tolerant to natural and unnatural stresses. The ministry plans to release at least two hybrid varieties before 2016.

It also plans to develop tissue culture techniques to mass produce coconut planting material from elite coconut genotype, an embryo culture technique for propagation of rare high value genotypes and safe transfer of coconut germ plasma and production of dihaploid coconuts to assist the coconut breeding programme.” he said.

The minister said technologies to improve coconut production, coconut land and productivity and profitability will be developed.

The ministry also plans to develop coconut products and process technologies and value addition, to transfer coconut based technologies to the stakeholders, to asses the socio economics of the industry, provide infrastructure human resources and other requirements to uplift the industry.