The government gives priority to the development in the Agricultural Sector

Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture  K.E.Karunarathne  said that the government  has given prominence to the development of the agricultural sector. In the year 2005 ,  Sri Lanka has imported  85 percent of its requirement of corn.  However  by last year,  Sri Lanka was able to produce  85 percent of its  corn requirement.  

He added that this is an ample testimony to the government’s  development programme . The government has not imported any corn  this year.

 

 Participating in a discussion programme  of the SlBC this morning, the Secretary further said that  the aim is to   cultivate  100 thousand acres of  barren paddy fields  in the north during the  forthcoming maha season.  

He also said that the incentives provided by the government including the fertilizer subsidy  has resulted in reaping a bountiful harvest. The Department of Agrarian Services Development  will implement a programme to reconstruct all  minor irrigation systems next year.  

This will be a tremendous boost to the programme to  re-cultivate abandoned paddy lands.   Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture  G.A.M.S.Amitiyagoda said  seed production villages are being set up to increase agricultural seed production. Director of the  Organic Fertilizer Division of the Ministry Hemantha Wijewardena said an Islandwide programme has been implemented to popularize to usage of organic fertilizer.