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| Sunday, 16 January 2005 |
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Planting of coconut seedlings stepped up by M.P. Muttiah Plantation Industries Minister, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, says three million coconut seedlings will be planted this year. Coconut cultivators will be given several facilities including fertiliser subsidy, and the planting of new seedlings will be encouraged. He said, during the past six months 1.4 million coconut seedlings were planted in the country, including in the North and East. The Minister said that each of the 25,000 Samurdhi beneficiary families would be provided with five seedlings. Twenty five thousand selected families would be encouraged to grow coconut in small plots of land. Yapa explained the reasons for the declining of coconut cultivation and soaring of prices. "A drought prevailed in the past. The area of coconut cultivation declined due to the drop in prices. These factors discouraged cultivators, and coconut cultivation declined as estates were sold in blocs to build homes," he added. The Minister said that the Coconut Cultivation Board had taken measures to plant 2.1 million coconut seedlings. During the year coconut will be cultivated in 5,500 acres on the left bank of Walawa and Wanathavillu in Puttalam. The present 2,500-acre cultivated area in Moneragala would be extended to 4,500 acres. Yapa said, that it had become necessary to increase production as Sri Lankans consume 17 billion nuts a year. |
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