Minister outlines key decisions to develop coconut cultivation

• Discusses measures to uplift coconut industry, implement program to boost farmers’ income 
• Minister directs reduction of maximum limit of 10 acres of estate lands that can be fragmented without prior permission to five acres
• Organization for Protection of Coconut Industry calls on Minister to include coconut on list of trees that cannot be cut without permission
• Felling of Trees (Control) Act likely to be amended

Plantation Industry and Export Agriculture Minister Ramesh Pathirana last week outlined key measures to develop coconut cultivation and pledged to help stakeholders operating within the industry.

He made these remarks at a special discussion with the members of the Organization for the Protection of the Coconut Industry on 12 December at the ministry premises in Battaramulla.

During this meeting, the ways and means of uplifting the coconut cultivation industry and implementing a program to assure a better income for coconut cultivators were discussed in detail.

It was revealed that the fragmentation of coconut lands occurred on a large scale and therefore stringent measures must be introduced for coconut cultivation lands to address the matter.

The Minister called on the Board for Control of Fragmentation of Tea, Rubber and Coconut Estates to make suitable guidelines in this regard.   

Furthermore, the Minister decided to take swift action to reduce the maximum limit of 10 acres of estate lands that can be fragmented without prior permission to five acres.

Measures were also thought up to curb the damage caused by wild animals to 10% of the coconut yield. To minimise the damage, it was decided that until the coconut saplings were grown they should be preserved in barrels for protection.  

The Organization for the Protection of the Coconut Industry also made an appeal to the Minister to include coconut on the list of trees that are banned from being cut without permission. Jack, breadfruit and palm trees are currently on this list of trees.

A decision was also made to amend the Felling of Trees (Control) Act.

In terms of pest control measures, Minister Pathirana instructed the Additional Secretary of the Ministry to take swift steps to install traps to catch harmful insects such as the red beetle, which has become a major menace to coconut cultivators.