Animals devoured 93 mn coconuts in first six months of last year

By Ifham Nizam

A study conducted by the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agricultural Research and Training Institute has revealed that more than 200 agricultural development areas were damaged by Torque monkeys; gian squirrels damaged 180 agricultural development areas and monkeys another 50 areas.

The annual coconut harvest in Sri Lanka is between 2,500 and 3,000 million nuts. Drought, damage from wild animals, and other pestilential conditions, cause some variation in this yield.

The Hector Kobbekaduwa Agricultural Research and Training Institute says that the biggest damage to coconut cultivation in Sri Lanka is caused by Torque monkeys, monkeys and giant squirrels. According to the study conducted by the institute regarding the agricultural and wildlife conflict in Sri Lanka, in the six months from January to June of 2022, coconut plantations have suffered the most crop damage due to wild animals.

During the six month period, 93 million coconuts have been destroyed by Torque monkeys, monkeys and giant squirrels, and by the end of 2022, the situation has increased to 180-200 million coconuts.

Accordingly, the number of hectares affected by coconut crop damage in 21 districts is 57,815. The extent of land planted with coconuts in those areas, is 275,540 hectares, of which 21 percent has been damaged by wildlife.

Depending on the amount of damaged coconuts between 1,600 and 2,000 coconuts per hectare have been destroyed by wild animals.

According to the Coconut Research Institute, the total area under coconut cultivation in the country is 440,640 hectares, and 13.1 percent of the coconut cultivation has been destroyed by animals.

Kurunegala, Puttalam, Ratnapura, Kegalle are the worst affected districts.

The area of crop damage in the Kurunegala District is 24,038 hectares. The number of coconuts lost due to damage caused by animals is 42 million––Puttalam 13 million, Ratnapura 11 million coconuts, Kegalle four million coconuts and Moneragala three million.

Agriculture, Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has appointed a committee headed by the Secretaries of the two Ministries, and the Director Generals of Wildlife and Forest Conservationists to take all possible steps to reduce crop damage by animals.

The Ministry of Agriculture has commenced discussions with the participation of all parties regarding the measures to be taken to prevent crop damage caused by wild animals.