State Minister climbs coconut tree

State Minister Arundika Fernando today spoke to reporters while climbing a coconut tree using a new kind of gear introduced by a local inventor from Warakapola.

The State Minister of Coconut, Kithul, Palmyrah and Rubber Cultivation Promotion and Related Industrial Product Manufacturing & Export Diversification used the invention to climb a coconut tree at his garden in Dankotuwa.

Speaking to reporters while midway on the tree, he said that one of the main issued facing the coconut, Kithul, Palmyrah and toddy industries is the fact that there is a shortage of tappers and the main reason for that is the dangerousness of climbing these trees.

He said there is not much safety for these workers and that sometimes the ropes used for crossing from one tree to another are old and unsafe. 

“Therefore this is a very safe method invented by a Sri Lankan,” he said, referring to the tree climbing gear used by him. 

He said that it can be used to climb around 100 tall trees per day and that it only costs around Rs 19,000.