Sri Lanka Government to sell coconuts at Rs. 130 amid price crisis

Coconut

As a solution to the ongoing coconut price crisis in Sri Lanka, measures will be taken to sell coconuts at Rs. 130 each through Sathosa within the next two weeks, announced the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, Wasantha Samarasinghe in Parliament today (December 4).

Accordingly, the government has decided to distribute 1 million coconuts to suburban areas within the next two weeks.

“There is a government-owned institutional system related to coconut production. We are taking steps to sell coconuts produced on government estates to urban residents at Rs. 130” the Minister stated.

Meanwhile, due to a shortage of coconuts in the country, it has been reported that half a coconut is being sold for prices ranging between Rs. 100 and Rs. 120.

In the Baddegama area, the price of a whole coconut ranges from Rs. 180 to Rs. 200 while smaller-sized coconuts are being sold for Rs. 160.

However, authorities claim that a significant portion of the coconut harvest has been lost due to damage caused by toque monkeys and giant squirrels.