The Government has announced that farmers whose coconut trees were destroyed by Cyclone Ditwah will receive Rs. 10,000 per tree, along with replacement coconut saplings.
Dr. Sunimal Jayakody, Chairman of the Coconut Cultivation Board, said the cyclone has severely impacted the coconut industry and urged the public to provide necessary information to facilitate the compensation process.
He added that a large number of coconut saplings at the Board’s seed coconut nursery in Kilinochchi were submerged due to flooding caused by heavy rains. Plans are underway to replant saplings to replace trees lost to landslides and floods.
Meanwhile, the Coconut Development Authority estimated that damages to coconut-related industries from the cyclone and floods amount to around Rs. 1,576 million, with 87 industries reported as severely affected so far.
