Coconut cultivation to be developed under Divi Neguma

Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa said that steps will be taken to plant 4 million coconut plants island wide under the Divi Neguma National Programme this year.

He said that last year approximately 2 million coconut plants were planted under the Divi Neguma Programme throughout the country.

The Minister made these comments at an awareness meeting held at his Ministry for all district planning Directors regarding Divi Neguma National Programme.

Accordingly, the Minister said that steps were taken to distribute two coconut plants each for selected household units of the Divi Neguma National Programme in Divisional Secretariats located throughout the country where coconut crops can be cultivated and it has added about 30,000 acres of coconut cultivated lands.

The Ministry of coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development informed the meeting that the nurseries under the Ministry are making arrangements to have the saplings of 4 million coconut plants ready for distribution.

Minister Rajapaksa explained that the main objective of the programme is to create a home garden with economic value which goes beyond the limits of the home garden by planting crops with economic value such as tea, coconut and rubber in 2 1/2 acres of domestic economic units under the Divi Naguma national programme .(niz+)