Sri Lanka to enhance coconut production

Sri Lanka plans to enhance the coconut production in the country to meet a goal of planting 10 million seedlings within the next two years, the Minister of Plantation Industries D. M. Jayaratne said.

Speaking at the 45th Asian and Pacific Coconut Community Ministerial Meeting in Gall Face Hotel in Colombo, today the Minister said the coconut industry has provided nearly 700,000 job opportunities and brings nearly US$ 20 billion to the country annually through exports.

He said 75 percent of the coconuts annually produced are used for domestic consumption and the rest is used for kernel based industries.

The Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) is an intergovernmental organization of 15 major coconut producing countries accounting for over 90 percent of world coconut production and exports of coconut products.