China to boost Sri Lanka’s coconut industry

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 September 2009, 08:12 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Plantations Industries Minister Mr. D. M. Jayaretna held discussions Friday with visiting officials of a China based company to boost coconut industry in the island and also to set up a plant to manufacture coconut shell charcoal, sources in Colombo said. Direct instructions were issued to this China based company from the Government of China to hold discussions with the Government of Sri Lanka, the sources added.

Messers Lillie Exu and Linda Wang, two officials of the China-based Ureshiyan Suppliers Company, participated in these discussions with the Minister. The Chairman of Land Reclamation and Development Karunasena Hettiarachchi was also present in the meeting.

Chinese officials said their company is prepared to enhance expansion of the proposal to include other coconut products. Factory operations would begin with a suitable factory being built for envisaged production, they added.

Minister Jayaretne was of the view that such investment should generate employment. He said such production plants should also include the coconut coir industry in addition to other coconut products.