The government will establish 250 King Coconut villages across the country under a new programme aimed at expanding cultivation and increasing the economic contribution of the coconut sector, Plantation and Community Infrastructure Minister Samantha Vidyaratna said.
The “Ceylon King Coconut Villages” programme will be launched to coincide with International Coconut Day on Sept. 2, with 75 villages to be established during the first phase this year.
Vidyaratna said the programme had been developed through collaboration between the public sector, private sector and the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, with the broader aim of increasing export earnings, creating employment and supporting poverty reduction.
A further 80 villages are planned for 2027, while the remaining 95 will be established in 2028, completing the 250-village programme.
The national launch will take place at a nursery in Makandura in the Pannala Divisional Secretariat Division in the Kurunegala district.
The minister said about 20 of the 75 villages planned for the first phase are expected to begin activities on Sept. 2, with work in all 75 villages expected to commence within the following one to two weeks.
The programme will also include the rehabilitation of existing King Coconut cultivation. The ministry has identified about 221,500 existing trees for rehabilitation, with assistance planned for fertilising, mulching and water supply.
A fertiliser subsidy of Rs. 700 per tree is expected to be provided under the rehabilitation programme, Vidyaratna said.
The government has also allocated 212,500 King Coconut plants for cultivation in the 250 newly established villages.
Under the programme, growers will contribute about Rs. 150 per plant, while the ministry and the Coconut Cultivation Board will bear the remaining Rs. 600 of the estimated Rs. 750 cost of each plant.
Each village will be required to have at least 1,000 new King Coconut plants, which will be cultivated on land belonging to participating residents.
Vidyaratna said growing global demand for coconut products presented an opportunity to expand the sector and increase its contribution to the national economy. (Newswire)