Wednesday Jun 24, 2026
Wednesday Jun 24, 2026
Thursday, 18 June 2026 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Plantations and Community Infrastructure Ministry has initiated discussions on a new project aimed at streamlining and commercialising king coconut cultivation in the country to strengthen export performance.
The meeting, held last week under the leadership of Minister Samantha Vidyarathna, focused on transforming currently scattered king coconut cultivation into a structured, standardised and export-oriented agribusiness sector.
Officials discussed establishing production standards aligned with international market requirements, strengthening supply chains, and developing direct linkages between growers and exporters.
The proposal also includes a monitoring framework to track progress, with participation from the Export Development Board and Community Shakthi Sabhas.
The project aims to increase king coconut export earnings to $ 11.8 million. Key measures under consideration include registering growers, regionalising cultivation management, promoting value-added king coconut products, and introducing digital systems to improve coordination and efficiency.
The Minister stressed that implementation should follow a defined timeframe and include rehabilitation of existing plantations as well as expansion of new cultivation. He also highlighted the need to attract more farmers, improve access to nutrients, irrigation systems, fertiliser support, and ensure continuous monitoring to improve productivity and reduce rural poverty.
The discussion was attended by senior officials including the Ministry Secretary Gunadasa Samarasinghe, along with representatives from plantation-related institutions and research bodies.
