Lanka: minister climbs tree to address public on coconut shortage

Perched atop a coconut tree, Sri Lankan Minister of Coconut held a rather unusual press conference. Arundika Fernando was addressing a gathering about a shortage of coconuts in the country and for reasons best known to him, he chose to be seated at around eye level on a harness attached to a coconut tree while clutching a green coconut. And as a News First report noted, it took a great effort for the State Minister's supporters to get him out of the coconut tree climbing contraption. The tree in question was in his coconut estate in Dankotuwa and reportedly he also picked several coconuts. He also tested a machine to climb coconut trees.