The second king coconut village under the “Ceylon King Coconut Village” national programme, launched by the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure to establish 250 king coconut villages across Sri Lanka within three years, was established yesterday (11).
The village is centered on the Dehigama area in Rideemaliyadda, Badulla District.
The first phase of the national programme to establish 250 king coconut villages across the island commenced on September 2, with the establishment of the second king coconut village in the Badulla District taking place as part of the initiative.
During the event, 500 king coconut saplings were symbolically distributed among king coconut growers.
In addition, 500 coconut saplings were distributed among 250 families under a home garden coconut cultivation programme implemented in collaboration with the Praja Shakthi programme, which aims to alleviate poverty.
Cheques were also presented to beneficiaries under the coconut land rehabilitation programme.
The primary objective of the initiative is to increase Sri Lanka’s annual king coconut production by 25 million by 2030 and boost export revenue from king coconut and king coconut -based products by more than USD 12 million.
Accordingly, the Ministry plans to plant 212,500 new king coconut saplings and rehabilitate 221,500 existing king coconut trees during the 2026–2028 period.
The programme also aims to improve the quantity and quality of king coconut production by expanding cultivation areas and increasing the productivity of existing trees.
Furthermore, plans are in place to establish irrigation systems covering 500 acres of king coconut cultivation land to ensure higher productivity and consistent harvests.
The initiative also seeks to establish effective water management practices to protect crops during dry periods and ensure a stable supply of quality produce.
In addition, a new integrated data system is to be introduced to facilitate the systematic management of the entire value chain, from the establishment of king coconut plantations to harvesting, transportation, processing and export. The system will bring together all stakeholders, including growers, king coconut collectors and exporters.
