The government will launch the 'Ceylon King Coconut Village' initiative tomorrow, aiming to establish 250 king coconut villages across the country over three years and boost annual production by 25 million nuts.
The Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure will formally launch the 'Ceylon King Coconut Village' programme at the Coconut Cultivation Board premises in Kurunegala District. The initiative seeks to expand king coconut cultivation throughout Sri Lanka while increasing production capacity and establishing stronger international export markets for king coconut and related products.
The programme envisions establishing 250 king coconut villages across the island in three phases: 75 villages this year, 80 in 2027, and 95 in 2028. The rollout will initially focus on 17 districts including Monaragala, Matara, Kurunegala, Kegalle, Gampaha, and others. Officials target increasing Sri Lanka's annual king coconut production by 25 million nuts and generating additional export revenue exceeding USD 12 million by 2030.
Financial incentives form a central component of the programme. Farmers will receive subsidies of Rs. 700 per tree to rehabilitate existing king coconut plantations. New saplings, which normally cost Rs. 750 each, will be provided at a heavily subsidized rate of Rs. 150. During 2026 alone, the programme plans to rehabilitate 20,300 existing trees and plant 37,500 new saplings, with targets for the full 2026-2028 period reaching 221,500 tree rehabilitations and 212,500 new plantings.
The initiative aims to benefit approximately 21,250 families by creating employment opportunities across cultivation, collection, transportation, processing, and export sectors. Officials plan to establish a formal data system tracking growers, collectors, and exporters, while providing irrigation infrastructure for 500 acres of cultivation. The programme is framed as a rural economic development strategy designed to strengthen community incomes and increase participation in national economic growth.