USAID, CBL group to boost SL’s coconut industry

CBL Global Foods Limited (CBL GFL), a subsidiary of the CBL Group, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) this week released a practical handbook to improve coconut farming practices in Sri Lanka.

The handbook, supported by USAID’s CATALYZE Private Sector Development (PSD) Activity, is aimed at helping farmers meet the country’s demand of 4,500 million coconuts annually.

Currently, Sri Lanka produces only 3,000 million coconuts each year, falling short in catering both its domestic consumption and export potential as coconut farmers face critical challenges in cultivation such as low yields, water stress and pest issues.

In response, the handbook provides practical solutions to these challenges by focusing on four key areas, including water management, nutrient balancing, pest control and climate adaptation.

“Our goal is to help farmers produce at least 100 coconuts per tree annually within three years,” CEO of CBL Global Foods Randeewa Malalasooriya stated.

The handbook will be initially distributed to 250 small and medium-scale farmers in selected districts. Available in Sinhala, Tamil and English, the initiative aims to eventually reach over 1 million coconut producers across the country.