ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s cabinet has approved the import of chilled and dried kernel chips equal to 200 million coconuts to fill a shortfall in the domestic crop, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said.
“According to the guidelines and the requests of the industry personnel, a capacity equal to 200 million coconuts of coconut kernel related products and dried kernels (non-copra) import, for oil manufacturing has been approved by the cabinet of ministers”, the minister said.
Sri Lanka’s coconut processing industry as well as domestic consumers are facing higher prices, after a fall in production, he said.
The shortfall has been attributed to weather variations, disease and lack of fertilizer.
By 2023 the harvest was down to 2,950 million nuts from 3,350 million nuts. Sri Lanka Coconut Research Institute is now forecasting a 1,407 million nut harvest for the first half of 2025. In Sri Lanka around 60 percent of the harvest comes in the first half of the year.
The Ceylon Chamber of Coconut Industries has aid based on the first half projection by Sri Lanka may see another 300 million fall in coconut harvest in 2025.
There will be at least a 200 million nut shortfall in the first four months, Jayantha Samarakoon, President of the chamber said. (Colombo/Feb05/2025)
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