Coconut Research Institute of Sri Lanka (CRISL) successfully conducted the CRISL/ICC International Certificate Course for Coconut Development Officers for the third time, from 4th October 2021 to 05th November 2021. This certificate course was jointly organized by CRISL and International Coconut Community (ICC) to train the coconut extension officers, growers and small and medium scales entrepreneurs of coconut growing countries in systematic coconut cultivation and coconut-based processing technologies. ICC reselected CRISL to conduct this course for the third time based on the highly positive feedback they received from participating countries of the first two programme conducted physically at CRISL in 2018 and 2019.
The continuation of this annual event was interrupted in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation. However, at the invitation of International Coconut Community, this year the training course was conducted virtually excluding the practical components of the course. In 2021, 38 participants from 19 countries (Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, Indonesia, Thailand, Fiji, Kenya, Guyana , Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Trinidad, Surinam, Greneda, Belize and New Caledonia) were successfully trained in systematic coconut cultivation and coconut-based processing technologies.