Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-09-26

New projects proposed to be implemented from the year 2018 for the performance of the Coconut Sector

- Around 70% of the Coconut yield in Sri Lanka is used for domestic consumption and the remainder is used for coconut related industries. Sri Lanka has been successful in receiving an export revenue of Rs.84 billion in the year 2016 alone by exporting coconut kernel related products. The Coconut related industries need to be developed while protecting the local consumer as well as the coconut cultivator, due to the limited extent of land available for coconut cultivation and the challenges due to various climatic factors. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Navin Dissanayake, the Minister of Plantation Industries, to establish specially in the Northern and Eastern areas model coconut gardens to enhance the performance of coconut cultivation and to establish a trained work force for the coconut sector from the year 2018, with the objective of increasing the coconut yield and the productivity in the coconut sector, was approved by the Cabinet.