CDA to reduce registration fee to help industrialists
by Surekha Galagoda
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D. J. U. Purasinghe
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The Coconut Development Authority (CDA) is planning to reduce the
registration fee and make it mandatory for Coconut oil mills, industries
manufacturing coconut products such as coconut cream and powder as well
as charcoal.
Chairman CDA D. J. U. Purasinghe said that at present registration is
only mandatory for DC mills. This will help the CDA to provide a better
service to industrialists and acquire a better knowledge about the
coconut industry.
He said the Efficient Coir Extraction and Training Centre will be
opened in the latter part of 2008 in Nattandiya. This centre will
provide training, technology, value addition, managerial skills and
human resources to millers engaged in the coir fibre industry.
 The CDA together with USAID and ITI have selected 27 millers to
develop these skills while 250 millers are engaged in the industry.
Purasinghe said that up to now we have completely neglected the coir
fibre industry. But I want to give them social recognition, proven
technology, find export markets and provide them training. At present we
only use 28% of the husk while the value addition is very low.
He said that the CDA is planning to set up an effective collection
system for domestic coconut residue which contains 35% fat which is
wasted. Once the system is established we can collect the residue,
extract the oil and manufacture soap.
In addition coconut shells and husks can also be collected for the
activated carbon industry. In 2005 the production level was 2,520 mln
nuts while it was 2,740 mln nuts in 2006.
The anticipated production this year is 2,900 mln nuts. Still we are
short of 1,200 mln nuts and this is the reason for us to import palm
oil, said Purasinghe.
The export revenue from the coconut industry in 2005 was Rs. 17.4 bln
while it increased to Rs. 19.6 bln last year.
The projected revenue from coconut product exports this year is Rs.
24 bln.
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