Five million coconut saplings distributed
by L. S. A. Wedaarachchi
[email protected]
Five million coconut saplings were distributed among one million
families under the National Project to plant ten million coconut trees
in the home gardens implemented by the Plantation Ministry and the
Coconut Development Ministry last year.
Plantation Minister D. M. Jayaratne said that since 2000 the coconut
industry lost over one million coconut trees due to the sales of coconut
lands and urbanisation programs.
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D. M. Jayaratne |
"The scarcity of coconuts in the island is due to coconut trees not
being replanted. Coconut which is one of the three main foreign exchange
earners was neglected during the past decade by the previous governments
and the people", he said.
"Coconut can be cultivated in any part of the island. Recently a new
coconut variety from China was successfully introduced to Nuwara Eliya
and other upcountry areas, where coconut was not grown in the past. A
coconut plantation project of one hundred-thousand coconut saplings was
launched recently in Kalmunai he said.
The chairman of the Coconut Cultivation Board (CCB) Dr. H. A.
Jayantha Gunatileke said that 34 coconut nurseries managed by the CCB
islandwide have sufficient coconut saplings for cultivation projects
implemented by the Ministry.
He said that the target of 20,000 acres of coconut cultivation per
year was achieved last year.
He said that planting materials, fertiliser and subsidies will be
given to land owners of ten acres and below by the government under the
coconut development program. |
