Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa addresses the coconut growers, and the officials of the Coconut Development Board, Coconut Cultivation Board and the Coconut Research Institute at the Presidential Secretariat - Pic by Chaminda Hittatiya

The Government on Friday held a crisis meeting on the coconut industry with both sides cracking their ideas as to how best a more sustainable development could be struck.

At a meeting directed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and chaired by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat a highlight was how to arrest the drastic 15% drop in coconut production this year.

Growers present at the meeting had suggested that a fertiliser subsidy be introduced as one of the remedial measures. It had been pointed out that high cost had prevented the industry, especially the small time growers from applying fertiliser to their cultivation.

Sources said Minister Rajapaksa had promised to take up their request with the President.
The disease that hit coconut plantations early this year had impacted production in addition to the drought Coconut Research Board officials had said.

Currently there are an estimated 64 million coconut trees in the country and the annual output of coconuts stands at 2.7 billion nuts. The Coconut Development Board hopes to increase the annual output of coconuts to 3 billion next year.