Nutmeg is a popular crop while the greater volume of the country’s nutmeg is produced in the Kandy District. Nutmeg cultivators are also economically very stable. The leaf fall disease became apparent a few months ago, but it spread so quickly that the action taken by the Agricutural Export Department was not sufficient to avert the epidemic.

At the recently conducted Kandy District Coordinating Committee Meeting, Provincial Secretaries were advised by the Government Agent, H.M. Gamini Seneviratne to form Special Task Forces to be administered by them on the advice of the Agricultural Officers.

The Chief Minister of the Central Province, Sarath Ekanayaka instructed that Notice Boards be put up in prominent places in the district free of charge as an Awareness Effort to draw attention to this scourge.

The Mayor of Kandy, Mahendra Ratwatta,Chairman of the Central Provincial Council Mahind Abeykoon,Representatives of the people and also public servants were participants at the meeting (NJ/KH)