Sri Lanka needs balanced food crop cultivation plan-say legislators

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo
Local legislators blamed Agricultural authorities for not preparing a well planned programme to reduce excess commercial and food crop cultivations and pointed out that Sri Lanka needs a balanced food crop cultivation to maintain a good price structure and control import food varities.
Ministers Mahinda Amaraweera and Darmadasa Banda said the country needs a balanced food crop cultivation programme to reduce wastage of harvest and maintain a best price structure to protect the farmers.
The ministers addressed a meeting held at the Galle Face Hotel , in Colombo in connection with the launch of Wellassa Krusi Udawa –Agricultural Exhibition and farmers awareness programme which will be conducted in Buttala in June this year by the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka and said the country needs post harvest system to reduce wastage of food crops and also highlighted a comprehensive food crop cultivation policy to reduce wastage of harvest and ensure a stable income for farming families.
They said the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka and the private sector plans to develop Uva –Wellassa through their proposed Agricultural Exhibition and the government supports this project to uplift living conditions of the farming families and produce more food for the country.Mr.Darmadasa Banda said his plan is to popularise fruit cultivation in the Uva Wellassa area .
“We have some problems such as price levels , excess production and lack of Agri related industries within the zone, he said.Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that the President Mahinda Rajapaksha has a good vision to develop rural areas and the farming community .The minister said at present vegetable and other food crops specially rice get good market price .“We want to maintain this price structure continuously and I asked President’s support to stop rice imports within this season, he said.
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