The Coconut Cultivation Board (CCB) has announced plans to take over and develop 500,000 acres of uncultivated coconut lands in Sri Lanka, particularly within the coconut triangle areas of Kurunegala, Gampaha, Puttalam, and Kuliyapitiya.
CCB Chairman Dr. Sunimal Jayakody said that legal procedures are being prepared to facilitate the acquisition of these lands, which are often owned by individuals living abroad or by absentee owners unable to maintain productivity.
He noted that the initiative includes temporary acquisition through legal transactions and lease agreements, with the lands to be returned to their original owners after a set period.
The government has already allocated Rs. 790 million for the programme, which also includes plans to introduce vegetable cultivation as an undercrop on these lands, with the intention of exporting the produce.
Dr. Jayakody added that this development effort aims to raise the annual coconut harvest from the current 2,700 million to 4,500 million coconuts by 2030.
