Six-month ultimatum for plantation companies

by L. S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

Plantation companies have been given six months to cultivate their unutilised lands of over 65,000 hectares, according to Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. The Government expects to distribute such lands to smallholders for replanting after six months.

Minister Abeywardena said that unutilised lands under plantation companies have created problems such as decrease of overall tea, rubber and coconut production apart from being a safe haven for wild animals which destroy cultivations in the area, he said. Most of the Colombo based plantation company directors are only interested in reaping profits and other perks which run into millions of rupees a month. Most of the Estate Superintendents are not permitted to invest in replanting or new planting.

Even two percent of replanting or new planting has not been done in the privately owned estates, leased out by the former UNP Government, he said.

The Minister said that there was a move to cultivate palm trees although there was no defraud palm oil in the world market today.

Palm cultivation creates environmental hazards. Tea, rubber, coconut and cocoa cultivations should be stepped up to ensure a better future for the country, the Minister said.