Sri Lanka has established its second king coconut village in the Badulla District as part of a national programme to develop 250 king coconut villages across the country.
The village was inaugurated in Dehigama, Rideemaliyadda, on Saturday (Oct. 10), under the “Ceylon King Coconut Village – 250” programme, which aims to expand cultivation and increase export earnings.
According to the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, the programme aims to increase Sri Lanka’s annual king coconut production by 25 million nuts and boost export revenue from king coconuts and related products by more than US$12 million by 2030.
Under the initiative, 212,500 new king coconut seedlings are expected to be planted between 2026 and 2028, while 221,500 existing trees will be rehabilitated to improve productivity.
During the event, 500 king coconut seedlings were symbolically distributed among growers. Another 500 coconut seedlings were distributed to 250 families under a home gardening initiative linked to the Praja Shakthi poverty alleviation programme.
Financial assistance was also provided to beneficiaries under the coconut land rehabilitation programme.
The ministry said irrigation systems would be developed to cover 500 acres of king coconut cultivation, helping farmers maintain production during dry periods.
A new data management system is also planned to connect growers, collectors and exporters, covering activities from cultivation and harvesting to processing and exports.
The national programme was launched on Sept. 2.
Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Samantha Vidyarathna, Badulla District MP Sudath Balagalla and several government officials attended the event. (Newswire)
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