New agricultural equipment for North

Dharma Sri ABEYRATNE

In line with the Api Wawamu Rata Nagamu program, a large stock of agricultural and land equipment including tractors were sent to the North on Thursday aiming to cultivate bare lands which have been abandoned for a long period due to LTTE terrorism.

Under the financial assistance of the Asian Development Bank, these equipment have been purchased by the Government from a private company at a cost of Rs. 50 million.

The equipment will be used to cultivate nearly 11,000 abandoned low and high lands in the Mullaithivu, Mannar and Killinochchi districts. Accordingly, 3,100 acres of paddy lands and 750 bare lands in Thunukkai in Mulathiv district, 3,000 acres of paddy lands in Mannar, 4,000 acres of paddy lands in Adampan will be cultivated by using the agricultural equipment including 37 tractors.

In addition moves are under way to cultivate another 110 acres of high lands in Mulukkavil area in Killinochchi district. Under this national drive Rs. 3,000 worth 'seed paddy' for each acre is distributed free by the Agriculture Department.

Farmers will also be given Rs. 4,000 for an acre to plough their paddy lands.