President Gotabaya Rajapaksa intends to develop Kitul (Fishtail Palms) and Palmyra Palms into main export crops of Sri Lanka in order to open a new avenue to earn foreign exchange, according to the President’s Media Division.

During a discussion held Tuesday (25) at the Presidential Secretariat to review the future plans of the State Ministry of Coconut, Kitul, Palmyra and Rubber Product Promotion and Allied Industrial Production and Export Diversification, President Rajapaksa has pointed out to the officials the requirement of an appropriate procedure to promote Kitul and Palmyra plantations and remove obstacles in the field in order to encourage production.

The President has advised the officials to take swift steps to establish a separate State Institute for Kitul and strictly enforce the laws prohibiting the felling of Palmyra trees.

Highlighting the importance of the State Ministry as it is capable of bringing in a large sum of foreign exchange into the country President Rajapaksa has advised the officials to devise short term plans for the new State Ministry.

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