News

News

Death knell for country’s coconut industry
The lush coconut plantations within the coconut triangle are coming close to extinction partly due to the land being partitioned and auctioned mainly for housing schemes and at times even due to government action.

Most coconut industries are now closed and some others nearing closure as coconut crops have been very poor due to the recent drought or due to the effect of land being auctioned.

The desiccated coconut industry that once earned much sought after foreign exchange for the country's coffers has suffered the most with the industry finding it difficult to meet its daily requirement.

Though there is a big demand from foreign countries for desiccated coconut, owners say that the coconut authorities are unable to find any solution to the existing problem.

Compounding the situation even further is the proposed industrial town project which if it becomes a reality would virtually swallow up the once fertile 300 acre coconut estate now a part of the Mahayaya estate in Pannala. It is owned by the Coconut Development Board.

Notwithstanding the peoples anger and repeated protests work on the new investment promotion zone commenced last week. Investment promotion Minister G.L. Peiris, and Irrigation Minister Jayawickrema Perera were among those who took part in the opening ceremony.

The proposed project is the biggest ever investment promotion zone in the Wayamba which has the blessings of the Board of Investment and is operated by the Economic development commission of Wayamba. Prof. Peiris said the state would invest a massive 17,000 million rupees and the 200 million rupee foreign and local projects would establish and operate some 60 factories within the zone.

He said that Pannala will become an important trade zone with factories, housing projects, markets providing employment avenues to more than 60,000 young men and women living in the Katana and Divulapitiya electoral districts.

Residents of the area are taking up cudgels to protest against this massive project that came into being at the expense of a large coconut estate and a thriving cultivation that belonged to the state.

To continue with their agitation they have formed a forum titled, 'environment protection scheme' of Pitigalpola. The residents are somewhat disillusioned with the whole project as factories that opened up in two such industrial towns running into thousands of acres in extent also situated within the Mahayaya estate belonging to the Coconut Development Board have subsequently closed.

One of the factories that closed was the East West factory throwing out some 2000 employees. They say there are other coconut lands that could be used for the purpose while leaving these fertile coconut land undisturbed.

However, the residents say they have not yet given up their resistance. They hope to launch more protest campaigns. Their non participation at the opening ceremony was evidence of their disgust and dissatisfaction with the whole project.

The Coconut Development Board was not available for comment about the releasing of their land for the project.

Top

Back to News