Pilot project for Kithul industry development

The Rural Industries and Self Employment Promotion Ministry has planned to develop the Kitul treacle and jaggery industry as a substitute to help the country reduce its expenditure on sugar imports.

An Information Department release said the country currently spent nearly Rs. 20,000 million on annual sugar imports. A sizeable part of this foreign exchange spending could be saved by imposing the kitul industry.

The Kitul Produce Development National program planned by the Rural Industries and Self Employment Promotion Ministry would be first implemented as a pilot project in Passara, Imbulpe, Thawalama, Madulla, Hataraliyadda and Bulathsinhala with the assistance of the Ministries of Environment and Natural Resources, Science and Technology and Agricultural Development.

The Ministry hoped to engage unemployed youth in this program since a person taking up a kitul related production industry as a self employment could earn upto Rs. 20,000 monthly. Already Rs. 3 million has been set apart for awareness and research programs to promote this industry. The Ministry hoped to distribute Kitul plants among prospective growers with the assistance of the Forest Conservation Department.