For the past year and more, the consumers had to undergo severe hardship due to the price increase of coconut, an essential item in daily food, which cost around Rs. 30-40 two years ago, climbed to Rs. 100-120 and is still climbing.
Housewives have no alternative than to reduce the consumption of coconuts, but pol sambol, green leaves with coconut and in white curries, coconut is an essential ingredient. The Government blamed the poor rainfall experienced during the past for the reduced yields and small coconut size. But was the calamity beyond control? The article looks at possible long-term solutions to avert similar situations.
Lands for coconut cultivation – History
From the time of ancient kings, locals cultivated lands to fulfill their economic requirements. The British, having taken control over then Ceylon in 1815, their Crown Lands Encroachment Ordinance No. 12 of 1840, took over all uncultivated lands under the Government control.
The British distributed lands which were taken over (sold at low prices) for the cultivation of coffee (later tea), rubber and coconut. Westerners used to cold climates happily accepted upcountry lands but were reluctant to locate in hot dry regions for coconut. Lands were accepted by the enterprising locals, mostly Sinhalese. Muslims preferred trading and did not wish cultivation.
The Colonial Government encouraged the cultivation of coconut, particularly in the northwest of the island. The rapid expansion of the coconut industry had begun in the late 1850s, but the pace had been accelerated in the 1860s. The acreage went up from about 250,000 in the 1860s to 850,000 in the first decade of the 20th century. (K.M. De. Silva, ‘A History Sri Lanka’). Some families and family-owned companies took over large extents of land such as the De Mel family in Kurunegala and Melsiripura were named accordingly. By the end of the 1960s, Sri Lanka had the peak acreage of well-cultivated coconut cultivations in the history of the country.
The United Front Government came into power in 1970, launched the Land Reform Law of 1972, under which all individuals and companies owning highland in excess of a ceiling of 50 acres and paddy lands in excess of 25 acres were to declare and hand over their estates to the State. The Government took over the estates but had not given thought to control and development thereafter. Management of estates taken over was given to political stooges, quality and production dropped dramatically and years later some lands were handed over to plantation corporations. Worst of all, the workers’ discipline crashed overnight, destruction had been done. Plantation companies came much later.
In land area-wise, from a peak of 1.15 million acres in 1962, the area under coconut decreased to 976,000 acres in 2002. In 2006 ‘Weligama Wilt’ was reported in the south and resulted in the removal of 300,000 palms at the initial stages and more in repeated cycles.
Shortage of coconuts
The current shortage of coconuts is attributed to poor rainfall during the past two years affecting especially the Kurunegala District, the major producer of coconut in the country. The shortage of coconut was not a sudden occurrence. Over the years, coconut production dropped due to:
- Poor production in estates taken over by the Government.
- Formerly, most estates were cared for by owners residing in the estates. With the restriction on the admission of children to popular schools based on distance, estate owners moved to Kurunegala, leaving plantations with caretakers, resulting in a drop in management, fertilizing and production.
- Sale of coconut lands for housing, especially by the main roads.
- Shortage of labour and their quality.
Government response
With the increasing price of coconut in the market, the Government imposed price control declaring the maximum selling price of coconut as Rs.75 per nut, forcing most shops to stop selling. Others display a few very small coconuts at the controlled price. When inquired, shop keepers would offer bigger coconuts from the shop rear at a higher price.
State control of the coconut industry
Government command over the coconut industry is executed under the Coconut Development Authority, Coconut Cultivation Board and Coconut Research Institute, but they failed to offer a solution to climatic variations.
The solution from Coconut Development Authority
On 14 December, with a half-page color advertisement in Daily Mirror newspaper (plus others as well), the Coconut Development Authority, the premier organization responsible for the cultivation and development of the coconut industry, offered the public a solution to the current shortage of coconuts in the market. The advertisement read:
Solution to the dearth of coconuts… Permission to import coconut kernels…
The Government has decided to import coconut kernels as a solution to the prevailing dearth of coconuts.
If you are interested, start importing coconut kernels without delay…
Coconut Development Authority
Ministry of Plantations Industries
The Sri Lankan coconut industry: Current status and future prospects in a changing climate
Extracts from an article by Pathirajah, a Ph.D. Candidate from CRI, with a professor and two staff members from an Australian University, Published in Australia in January 2015.
“Coconut production is closely tied to the distribution pattern of rainfall in previous years. Therefore, considering rainfall as the most important yield determining factor, lagged rainfall is often used in coconut yield prediction studies. A model including lagged quarterly rainfall of the previous year was capable of predicting yield 15 months ahead.
“Coconut requires a well distributed rainfall throughout the year. However, there are two peaks and two stress periods in the intermediate zone due to the bimodal monsoon rainfall. In the dry zone, there is a longer dry period since rainfall is received from one monsoon. Therefore, soil moisture conservation is an already established adaptation strategy in coconut plantations.
“Irrigation during the water deficit or drought periods is identified as the most effective adaptation, having a potential to increase yield by 30 percent. However, this is restricted by the availability of water for irrigation during the drought. The other factors that determine water requirements are soil type, soil moisture availability, relative humidity, evaporation and transpiration and age of the plant. Water sources for irrigation are open wells, tube wells reaching deep underground water reservoirs or ponds. Sprinkler irrigation is identified as suitable for commercial scale nurseries. Drip irrigation is the most suitable method since it has advantages on efficient water use, fertiliser application (fertigation) and less labour cost. However above methods involve high capital investments.”
Extracts from an article in Business Times January 2011:
From a veteran coconut grower on 40 acres, in the Puttalam District:
“According to available data from 2003 to 2010 crops have been affected owing to variations in rainfall and the depth of the water table. Last year, the rainfall received in November was more than the total rainfall that was received in the previous 10 months. The data also shows how the rainfall and the depth of the ground water drastically affects the coconut crop. This is the main reason why we are facing a severe coconut shortage after the middle of 2010. In the same manner we can predict a much worse shortage of coconuts in 2011.
“The methods adopted to increase the profitability of the land should be:Irrigate the coconut trees when the ground water level drops below six feet from the surface. This applies to sandy soil otherwise it should be done at about five feet. The application of irrigation also depends on the height of the trees, as taller trees need more energy to draw water up to the crown, and should be done before the water levels drop below 6 feet.
Grow intercrops in between the coconut plantation.
Utilise available land for animal husbandry.”
Drip irrigation
It is clear that coconut plantations are extremely sensitive to the availability of water. But until now none of the responsible institutions in Sri Lanka recommended or encouraged growers to drip-irrigate their plantations. However, the research candidate from CRI along with Australian teaching staff identifies drip irrigation is needy, especially when rainfall fails.
Drip-irrigation, sometimes called trickle irrigation, involves dripping water onto the soil at very low rates (two to 20 liters/hour) from a system of small diameter plastic pipes fitted with outlets called emitters or drippers. Water is applied close to plants so that only soil area where roots are present is wetted, unlike surface and sprinkler irrigation, which involves wetting the whole soil profile. With drip-irrigation water, applications are more frequent (usually every one to three days) than with other methods and thus provides a very favourable high moisture level in the soil in which plants can flourish.
The high efficiency of drip irrigation results in soaking of water into the soil before it evaporates or runoff. Also, the water is only applied where it is needed, (at the plant’s roots) rather than sprayed everywhere.
In Sri Lanka, around 5% of private coconut plantations have installed drip-irrigation facilities. However, in Kerala, South India, nearly 90% of coconut plantations are provided with drip-irrigation facilities with help from the Indian Government. Given below are extracts from Indian institutions.
From Coconut Cultivation Board, India
Irrigation – Soil moisture very often limits coconut production in those areas where a long spell of dry weather prevails or where the rainfall is scanty and ill-distributed. So irrigate the palms during summer months in basins around the palm. The irrigation requirement varies according to the soil type and climatic condition. Generally, an adult palm requires 600 to 800 liters of water once in four to seven days. Irrigate in basins of 1.8m radius and 10-20 cm depth. In coastal sandy soils, seawater can be used for irrigating adult palms. Do not irrigate seedlings and very young palms up to two years with seawater. In irrigated gardens interruption of irrigation would lead to serious set-back in yield and general condition of palms. Hence, when once started irrigation should be continued regularly and systematically. However, Drip irrigation is the best-suited method of irrigation for coconut, saving water, labor and energy.
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
Irrigation and soil moisture conservation: Each palm requires 55 to 120 liters of water every day. Since the availability of irrigation water is scanty, for judicious utilization of this resource, the adoption of a drip irrigation system is most ideal.
Drip irrigation is known to save about 30-40% water with a 38-40% increase in yield compared to basin irrigation system apart from conserving soil and reducing the competition from weeds for water and nutrients. Through fertigation, we can achieve efficient utilization of both water and nutrients.
In the traditional system of irrigation followed in coconut gardens such as flood irrigation, basin irrigation, etc. irrigation efficiency is only 30 to 50% due to considerable wastage of water. In addition, cost of inputs like labor and energy in adopting these systems is high. The scarcity of water and the increasing cost of labour and energy are deterrents in adopting these traditional irrigation systems. Under these circumstances, drip irrigation is the most suitable system of irrigation for coconut.
Some of the major advantages of drip irrigation are:
- It saves water
- Enhances plant growth and yield
- Saves energy and labor, most suited for soils having low water holding capacity and undulating terrain
- Reduces weed growth and improves the efficiency of fertilizers.
Helping cultivators in India
As a policy to encourage the use of such systems, the Government of India under Centrally sponsored Scheme for small and marginal farmers to increase irrigation provides subsidy to the extent of 50% of the cost of the equipment, the balance is available by institutional credit.
Sri Lanka Budget 2018
The Budget for the year 2018, presented in Parliament by the Finance Minister, based on the theme ‘Blue-Green’ Budget, under ‘From Local Entrepreneurs to Global Leaders’ offered numerous incentives targeted at generating an environmentally sustainable economic growth by utilizing indigenous resources and offered financial assistance. The proposals included adopting new sustainable technologies in the agriculture, fisheries and manufacturing sectors, which would contribute to reducing environmental risks and ecological imbalances.
Although a number of extensive incentives were offered to various agricultural ventures, the coconut industry was offered only following.
- NBT on domestic coconut oil and kernel products will be removed for a period of one year.
- Introducing regulations to ensure mandatory packaging and labeling and standardization of quality in compliance with international quality standards for all coconut kernel products.
- Rs. 25 m will be allocated to support the Coconut Research Institute to produce hybrid coconut seedlings.
Unfortunately, no mention was made on drip-irrigation for coconut plantations or for any other crops. When every other sector requested assistance to develop their areas, the responsible staff of Institutions for the coconut industry, neglected requesting help, meanwhile, most coconut plantations were wilted and some trees dying. They failed to bring to the attention of the Minister of Finance the need for financial assistance for the installation of drip irrigation systems. Surely, these officers must be aware that coconut production in India amounts to 4.5 times Sri Lanka’s output. Also in South India’s Kerala State over 90% of coconut plantations are supplied with drip-irrigation with a subsidy of 50% from their government.
Discussion
Coconut plantations are extremely sensitive on the availability of water and the yield depends on the timely supply of water and fertilizer. Under best of weather conditions, between Yala and Maha and vice-versa are dry periods, when trees could benefit from water. Past weather patterns show irregularities of rains are common. Thus coconut plants would extremely benefit from drip-irrigation facilities and increased incomes would far outweigh costs.
According to the Indian experience, drip irrigation would yield a 38-40% increase in yield compared to basin irrigation systems. In our country basin irrigation is unheard and the plants are at the mercy of rain-gods. Thus drip-irrigation would ensure doubling of current yields, apart from saving trees dying and wilting during droughts.
Way forward
When the Finance Minister presented the ‘Blue-Green’ Budget, if the authorities responsible for coconut plantations requested support for drip-irrigation, the Minister would have surely obliged. Even now, if the coconut cultivators, members of the coconut industry who depend on coconut supplied from growers, suppliers of drip-irrigation equipment, along with Government coconut authorities (if they are willing) make representatives to the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister, financial support for the installation of drip-irrigation systems would be a possibility. The Prime Minister wished to issue rods for fishing and supporting drip-irrigation would be along with his thinking, especially when Provincial elections are around the corner.
Even if the Government accepts support for drip-irrigation, Cabinet acceptance, the passage of a bill through the Parliament, and establishment of procedure funding may be one year away. Installation of the system would involve the construction of a well or a bore-hole, procurement of pumps, water delivery system and installing the system. The system could be powered through electricity or solar power. The government assistance needs to include duty-free import of systems, payment of a subsidy (50% subsidy in India may not be practical here) depending on the plantation size and electricity for pumps at a reduced rate.
The proposed subsidy for the installation of drip irrigation systems would cost the Government. But from the moment of installation, each coconut plantation would achieve freedom from harsh weather. In 15 months plantation would yield higher production, the industry will be saved and the population will enjoy lower coconut prices, a win-win situation for all.
Published in the Daily FT on 20 December 2017