A discussion on the sustainable management of the “Whitefly” pest that harms coconut plantations, was held yesterday (19) at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake and President’s Director General (Community Affairs) Keerthi Tennakoon.
The responsible institutions including the Coconut Research Institute held various awareness programmes, to educate coconut planters of the pest and measures were implemented at rural level, including addressing possible issues that have arisen.
The use of social media, electronic and print media was also discussed in making these programmes a success.
The officials pointed out that climate change, the cultivation of coconut trees that are brought illegally to the country and the simultaneous reduction of natural parasites have contributed to the spread of this insect.
The whitefly has affected Colombo, Gampaha, Kegalle, Kalutara and several other areas.
It was stated that the lack of officers is a major concern in the practical implementation of measures taken by relevant institutions to combat this situation, and as a solution, the President’s Secretary issued directives to prepare a programme to involve everyone from Divisional Secretaries to the rural officers.
The President’s Secretary, who pointed out the importance of collecting accurate information about the crops damaged by the “Whitefly” insect menace, also advised to obtain the support of the university community working on the matter.
In addition, the President’s Secretary advised to resort to quick solutions such as cultivating parasites and purchasing necessary machinery to control and suppress the emerging threat.
