Sri Lanka opened its second king coconut village at Dehigama in Rideemaliyadda, Badulla District, on Saturday, under the “Ceylon King Coconut Village – 250” programme.
The Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure said the programme aims to raise annual king coconut production by 25 million nuts and increase export revenue from king coconut and related products by more than US$12 million by 2030.
Under the programme, 212,500 new seedlings are to be planted between 2026 and 2028, and 221,500 existing trees will be rehabilitated. The ministry said irrigation covering 500 acres would be developed to help farmers during dry periods.
A data management system is also planned to link growers, collectors and exporters. At the event, 500 king coconut seedlings were distributed to growers, and Plantation and Community Infrastructure Minister Samantha Vidyarathna attended.
The national programme began on 2 September and aims to establish 250 such villages.
