Special programme to promote coconut cultivation

Ishara Mudugamuwa

The Coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development Ministry has started a special programme to promote coconut cultivation in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, said Coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development Minister Jagath Pushpakumara.

Minister Pushpakumara was addressing the annual general meeting of the coconut oil manufactures in Seeduwa recently.

He said coconut cultivations in the Northern and Eastern Provinces were completely destroyed due to the conflict situation, which in turn had a drastic impact on the country's coconut production.

"The Northern and Eastern Provinces made a huge contribution to coconut oil production. The ministry has also started an island wide programme to promote coconut oil production as a main foreign exchange earner," he said.

The minister said he will take immediate measures to make it compulsory that coconut growers follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and that coconut oil product factories be registered. Only 200 of the 1,500 coconut product factories have been registered.

The minister also said that the government has given top priority to increase coconut production and coconut related industries under Mahinda Chinthanaya. The government plans to enhance coconut cultivation by planting 32 million coconut saplings and also enhance coconut lands by 50 percent.

"The ministry has already started an accelerated programme to meet this demand by 2014 and also plans to cultivate 18 million coconut saplings in 2015 and 2016.

The estimated coconut nut production by 2016 will be 3,650 million nuts and the ministry has also taken measures to produce 4,200 million nuts by 2016," said the minister.

Minister Pushpakumara further said the ministry plans to recruit 725 trainee graduates covering all Divisional Secretariats and Samurdhi Zones within the next two months. Special training will be given to them on coconut cultivation, coconut related industries and pest control before absorbing them to the service. Ministry Secreatary Nihal Somaweera, Coconut Development Authority Chairman Sudath Hadunge, Coconut Research Institute Director Jayantha Gunathilake also participated at the occasion.