Sri Lanka to expand oil palm cultivation

Sri Lankan government has taken steps to spread oil palm cultivation throughout the island, says the Minister of Plantation Mahinda Samarasinghe.
Accordingly, oil palm will be grown in 50,000 acres in the country, said the Minister. Already oil palm has been cultivated in 10,000 acres in Kalutara, Galle, and Matara districts, he said.
Sri Lanka imports 80,000 metric tons of palm oil annually at the cost of Rs. 14 billion.
Palm oil usage is on the increase as the price of coconut oil is rising in Sri Lanka. The government expects to save the foreign exchange through spread of oil palm, said the Minister.