By Saman Indrajith

The government would halt the cultivation of oil palm in the country an extent of 10,579 hectares of land already planted with oil palm would be used to grow coconut and rubber, Parliament was told yesterday.

Answering a question from Kandy District SJB MP Velu Kumar, Plantations Minister Dr Ramesh Pathirana said there were few cases pending before courts with regard to palm oil industry, preventing the government from stopping oil palm cultivation identified as a threat to the environment.

“The government has made a policy decision to stop oil palm cultivation. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa informed this House in his policy statement that the plantation of palm oil trees would be stopped completely,” the minister said.

Nine regional plantation companies were currently engaged in cultivating oil palm––Watawala Plantations Company 3,392 hectares of oil palm, Boganwanthalawa 202 hectares, Kotagala 525 hectares, Elpitiya 1,747 hectares, Agalawatte 1,333 hectares, Malwatta Valley 18 hectares, Horana 294, Kegalle 199 and Namunukula Plantations Company 2,493 hectares. Bogawanthalawa Plantations Company had given sub contracts to Lalan Rubber (Pvt) Ltd Company to cultivate oil palm in 13 plantations amounting to 39 hectares. Altogether there were 10,579 hectares being used to cultivate oil palm, the minister said.

He said that the government intended to promote coconut and rubber in the lands currently used for oil palm cultivation. “Owing to the loss of jobs and environmental issues oil palm cultivation should not be promoted.”