Every coconut sapling we plant today is not just a tree sapling, but an investment in the future economy of the Northern Province. Protecting them, nurturing them, and ensuring they yield benefits is a shared responsibility of everyone, said the Hon. Governor of the Northern Province, N. Vethanayahan. He also assured that the Northern Provincial Council would provide full cooperation to the government’s program to transform the Northern Province into the country’s leading coconut production zone.
Organized by the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, under the Northern Coconut Triangle Zone Project – the National Coconut Development Program, an event to distribute cheques and coconut saplings to beneficiaries was held today – on Friday (07 August 2026), at the Aachi Reception Hall premises in Mullaitivu, with the aim of promoting coconut cultivation in the Mullaitivu District.
Speaking at the event, the Governor of the Northern Province further stated,
He noted that the Northern Coconut Triangle Zone Program, launched last year, had recorded significant progress within a short period. He stated that coconut cultivation was expanding across thousands of acres of land in the Northern Province and that this had created new hope for the agricultural economy of the North. He also assured that the Northern Provincial Council was ready to provide all the necessary cooperation to achieve the project’s final objectives.
The Governor requested that the government take steps to allow suitable state lands to be used for coconut cultivation in order to further expand coconut cultivation in the Northern Province. He pointed out that this would further increase coconut production in the North.
At the same time, he expressed concern that whitefly infestation, the effects of climate change, and damage caused by elephants had become major threats to coconut cultivation in the Northern Province. He emphasized that the relevant parties should promptly implement scientific solutions to these issues and also take steps to provide appropriate compensation and necessary assistance to affected farmers.
The Governor stated that when value-added coconut production industries are established in conjunction with the investment zones to be created in the Northern Province in the future, farmers would earn higher incomes and new employment opportunities would be created for young people. He also expressed confidence that, through this, the economy of the Northern Province would move onto a new path of growth.
Speaking at the event, Hon. Minister Samantha Vithyaratna noted that we are earning a substantial amount of foreign exchange through coconut cultivation.
During the event, cheques totaling Rs. 22.7282 million were distributed to 515 beneficiaries from the Mullaitivu District. In addition, each beneficiary was given between one to five coconut saplings.
Accordingly, cheques were distributed to 443 beneficiaries who completed irrigation works for coconut cultivation in 2025, and to 72 beneficiaries under the fertilizer subsidy scheme to cope with the El Niño climate.
Among those who attended the event were Hon. Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Samantha Vithyarathna, Hon. Deputy Minister of Cooperatives Upali Samarasinghe, the Secretary of the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, the Chairman of the Coconut Cultivation Board, the District Secretary of Mullaitivu, officials of the Coconut Cultivation Board, farmers, beneficiaries and many others.
