Number of measures to control coconut pests

Ishara MUDUGAMUWA

The Coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development Ministry has taken a number of measures to control pests and diseases affecting the coconut crop with the objective of increasing production and meeting future demands of the coconut industry, Coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development Minister Jagath Pushpakumara said.

The minister said the Weligama Coconut Leaf Wilt Disease was fast spreading in the South.

A research by the Coconut Research Institute revealed over 365,000 coconut trees have been affected. The ministry has taken measures to mark all affected trees to be destroyed. The ministry has also paid compensation to owners of affected trees and introduced livestock farming projects as an additional income earning source for them, Pushpakumara said.

Under this programme, 148,041 trees have been destroyed by September 2012 and Rs 266 million provided as compensation, he said. "The ministry named Hambantota district as Weligama Coconut Leaf Wilt Disease free zone and all affected trees in the Galle district have also been destroyed," the minister said. The ministry has also taken measures to control mites in coconut cultivations.

He said the ministry also distributed pheromone traps to control the red beetle pest in coconut cultivations.

The ministry has distributed 3,000 traps and 60,000 beetles were destroyed within two years.

"When the ministry was established by the President, the country's coconut cultivations were badly affected from various pests and diseases. We are now successfully engaged in pest and disease control programmes," the minister said.