The Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industry, Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera says that a program has been started to export a King Coconut for 2000 rupees.
About 252,000 King Coconuts are exported from the country to the United Arab Emirates per week.
200 containers of King Coconuts are exported to Dubai market per year.
Currently, in many countries including the United Arab Emirates, oranges are sold in our country for 1500 to 2000 rupees per fruit.
There is a huge demand for King Coconuts from Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates.
In addition, there is a high demand for King Coconuts produced in our country from many other countries.
Two billion rupees in revenue in 2022 came from King Coconuts export.
In the last year (2023), the revenue was 6 billion rupees.
King Coconut is a crop native to Sri Lanka.
Although many countries have tried to grow King Coconut Trees, those efforts have failed because they do not have the superior taste of Sri Lankan King Coconuts.
The first village to grow King Coconuts for export was started last year in Pahala Muruthawela.
The second King Coconuts cultivation village aimed at export was established yesterday (25) under the leadership of Minister Mahinda Amaraweera in the vicinity of Muruthawela Raluwa village.
10,000 King Coconut trees are going to be planted in these two villages.
Sri Lanka still has the monopoly in the world market for King Coconuts grown in this country.
In order to harvest the maximum fruits from this situation, several villages especially in the Murutawela area have been used to cultivate King Coconut plantations as a crop from now on.
Accordingly, the minister distributed 1600 King Coconut saplings to the farmers yesterday (25) for the cultivation of the second King Coconut cultivation model village.
The Chairman of the Coconut Cultivation Board Mrs. Madhavi Herath and others participated in that event.
The Minister further said that because the most delicious King Coconut in the world is the Sri Lankan King Coconut, steps will be taken to popularize the Sri Lankan orange in the world with the Sri Lanka Sweet Coconut brand, and the Coconut Development Board and the Coconut Development Authority have been given the necessary program for that.
Does not sound so promising for the Agricultural sector. Very short term and effect on the local market is ignored.
Exporting more than 50% of the harvest must not be allowed