Amid growing concern over the economic impact of Weligama wilt on the Southern Province, the Coconut Cultivation Board (CCB) has introduced a higher compensation package to accelerate the removal of infected coconut trees in the Matara District.
The Board has raised the payment for each tree cut down to Rs. 10,000 — more than triple the earlier rate of Rs. 3,000 — in an effort to persuade growers to promptly report and remove affected palms before the disease spreads further.
CCB Chairman Dr. Sunimal Jayakody said the new payment structure is part of an urgent response to contain what has become one of the region’s most persistent agricultural threats. He confirmed that around 5,000 diseased trees are currently being removed in Matara, the only district where the outbreak continues to advance.
Although the disease has been brought under control in Galle and Hambantota, isolated cases still surface in Matara due to the presence of infected trees that were not removed during earlier phases of the control programme.
Dr. Jayakody added that the disease, caused by the Renda Makuna insect, has already affected 6,250 trees in the district. He warned that the long-running outbreak has posed a significant threat to the Southern Province’s coconut output for nearly 15 years.
“Infected trees lose yield rapidly and usually die within two years. If we do not eliminate these trees quickly, the disease can spread again through insects carrying the bacteria,” he said.
The CCB stated that the increased compensation is intended to strengthen growers’ cooperation, noting that swift removal is essential to protect both the regional economy and the future of coconut cultivation in the south.
