Plantations Minister orders establishment of Kithul Development Board

Plantations Minister Ramesh Pathirana has ordered to establish the Kithul Development Board, to regulate and develop kithul (fishtail palms) as a main plantation crop in Sri Lanka.
Pathirana last week ordered to form the Kithul Development Board provisions under Section 2 of the Coconut Development Act, No. 46 of 1971, with an initial capital of Rs.50 million.

Accordingly, Kanugala Wattage Gihan Priyanath Perera has been appointed as the founding Chairman of the Kithul Development Board, located in Pelawatte, Battaramulla. 
Sri Lanka’s kithul industry is largely considered to be a cottage industry, with no regulator.

The board has been tasked with the enhancing of the productivity of the kithul plantation land parcels, promotion of new techniques in the processing of kithul products, enhancing demand for kithul products in Sri Lana and globally, conducting market research into all aspects of kithul value chain as well as regulation of export and import, including the prices of kithul products.

The board has also been given special powers to directly engage and to regulate the entire value chain of the kithul industry, including exports and imports of kithul products, including provisions to register producers and to impose standards and charge annual fees for such registration.

The Kithul Development Board would be made up of six members and three of them would be appointed by the relevant subject minister.  

Coconut, Kithul and Palmyrah Cultivation Promotion and Related Industrial Product Manufacturing and Export Diversification State Minister Arundika Fernando has been assigned to develop the industry and to promote kithul-related exports. (NF)