Sri Lanka, April 27 -- By Nishel Fernando

The government has been sitting on an expert committee report on how to permit oil palm cultivation in identified Mahaweli areas and other areas, without deciding for nearly five months.

According to the Agriculture and Plantation Industries Ministry, the ministry forwarded the report to the secretary to the Cabinet of Ministers on January 12.

In November 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to appoint an expert committee to explore the possibility of permitting oil palm cultivation in identified Mahaweli areas and specified other areas, which include the Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs).

The committee was headed by an additional secretary to the ministry and was made up of experts from ...