The government is considering introducing an insurance scheme or suitable compensation mechanism for damage to coconut cultivation, Minister of Plantations and Community Infrastructure Samantha Vidyaratne has said.
The Minister said discussions are currently underway with relevant stakeholders to establish such a mechanism, as no formal crop compensation scheme is currently available for damage to coconut cultivation.
He made the remarks during the third meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Plantations and Community Infrastructure, held in Parliament on Tuesday (6).
During the meeting, Government and Opposition MPs raised several issues affecting the plantation sector, including the whitefly infestation affecting coconut cultivation, challenges faced by the tea and kithul industries, and housing and education issues affecting the Malaiyaha community.
Vidyaratne instructed officials and heads of relevant institutions to take prompt measures to address issues directly affecting the public.
The Minister also stressed that the participation of relevant plantation-sector officials at District Coordinating Committee meetings is mandatory, noting that active intervention at the field level is necessary to resolve issues faced by plantation communities.
Meanwhile, MPs discussed the Ministry’s recently launched “250 King Coconut Villages” programme and called for the initiative to be expanded to more areas.
Deputy Minister of Plantations and Community Infrastructure Sundaralingam Pradeep, Government and Opposition MPs, and officials from the Ministry and its affiliated institutions participated in the meeting.
