* Sri Lanka to grow coconut in the north
Mon, Mar 15, 2010, 07:04 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Mar 15, Colombo: Sri Lanka Minister of Plantation D.M. Jayaratne says that the government expects to add an additional income of 10 billion rupees to the national income through development of coconut industry in the Northern Province.

He said that 300 million nuts could be added to the national coconut harvest annually from Northern Province. The annual coconut harvest of the country is 3.3 billion nuts.

The Minister says that there are 83,000 acres of coconut cultivations in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Jaffna districts. However, 45,000 acres of the cultivations have been destroyed due to war.

The Ministry took steps to cultivate coconut in 465 acres anew during the past six months, the Minister said. In addition, over 48,000 coconut saplings were distributed among 9,000 families to be planted in home gardens.

Another 2,000 acres in the Northern Province will be planted with coconut in 2010. Nurseries in Achchuveli and Kilinochchi are to provide 200,000 saplings.

Each family in the Northern Province would be granted five coconut saplings by the Coconut Development Board, the Minister said.