The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna
Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna said declining coconut yields are a national concern, citing the lack of fertilizer application on about 39,883 acres of state-owned coconut land over five years and climate impacts. He stated that the Government is responding with Russian-assisted MOP fertilizer supplies, including 27,500 MT allocated for coconut, and plans to provide free fertilizer to smallholders with under five acres. He also said the Government intends to begin cultivation on 40,000 acres in the Northern Coconut Triangle, with Rs. 1,437 million requested in the Budget, while noting that results will take three to four years.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Yes, it is now a national concern. The Government holds about 39,883 acres of coconut lands; no fertilizer was applied for five years, inevitably reducing yields, compounded by climatic factors. The new Government is providing solutions, including a fertilizer donation vessel facilitated with Russian assistance—55,000 MT of MOP—of which 27,500 MT is allocated to coconut. We will provide free fertilizer to smallholders with less than five acres. This year we also plan to start cultivation on 40,000 acres in the Northern Coconut Triangle, for which Rs. 1,437 million has been requested in the Budget. Coconut takes years; sustainable solutions will materialize over 3–4 years.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Tuesday, 21 January 2025 ·No. 1737707091008005 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 21 January 2025. No. 1737707091008005. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/27192