Sri Lanka bans palm oil imports, tells producers to uproot plantations

Sri Lanka on Monday banned imports of palm oil and new palm plantations, and told producers to uproot existing plantations in a phased manner, in a surprise move that baffled the edible oil industry.

Palm oil imports and the number of plantations had been increasing in recent years in Sri Lanka, a leading producer of coconut oil.

Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said...