ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka expects to grow 40,000 acres of coconut in the North as part of efforts for long term expansion of the crop and also give free fertilizer to small holders Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Samantha Viddyarathna said.
Sri Lanka’s coconut prices have soared amid import controls and a crop shortfall.
“We have taken steps to grow 40,000 acres of coconut in the Northern coconut triangle,” Minister Viddyarathna told parliament.
“We have asked 1,437 million rupees from the budget for that. This will have results in the long term.”
Some of Sri Lanka’s traditional coconut are located in areas which are fast developing and where the land has higher yielding uses.
Sri Lanka’s then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa banned fertilizer following advice from the Government Medical Officers Association which was followed by a massive currency crises after macro-economists printed money on top of tax cuts to boost growth.
Fertilizer prices soared in the crisis while supplies were also short.
Sri Lanka also 39,883 acres of coconut state plantations but they also have not got fertilizer for the past five years, Minister Viddyarathna said.
“Where there is no fertilizer the crops decline,” he said. “There were also weather impacts.”
Heavy rains tend to drench flowers and reduce pollination, according to some in the coconut sector.
Rains have continued this year.
Sri Lanka has obtained 55,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer from Russia of which 27,500 was reserved for coconut small holders.
“We have decided to give free fertilizer to coconut land owners with less than 5 acres.”
Sri Lanka has a number of export industries including powdered milk, shell charcoal and coir which are also facing higher costs and raw material difficulties due to crop shortfall and import restrictions on raw coconuts. (Colombo/Jan21.2025)
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