Colombo (AsiaNews) – The Sri Lankan government has organised an agriculture exhibition from 3 to 5April at St Anthony College in Baddegama in the southern district of Galle as part of its strategy to encourage domestic food production. It is also studying plans to provide incentives to help operators in the sector.
Agriculture Minister Hemakumara Nanayakkara explained that the country’s first agricultural exhibition or “Govijana Udanaya” offers farmers an opportunity to buy various seeds varieties and other agriculture related equipment at concessionary rates.
The event also includes workshops to educate farmers on various services extended by the state and private sector banks for the benefit of farmers.
The “Govijana Udanaya” is part of a broader effort by the government to encourage the nation’s agricultural output and reduce imports, especially of potatoes, onions and millet, which can easily grow on the island nation using the right means and the appropriate technologies.
With this in mind the Agriculture Ministry has studied a plan that would increase by 50,000 hectares the area under cultivation for the aforementioned crops and provide special economic incentives (about 6,000 rupees per hectare) to farmers to buy seeds and prepare the soil.
The plan involves the north-western and southern provinces of the country where there is arable but unutilised land.