Plans are afoot to map the country's entire irrigable landscape to create a computerized database of land resources.
Once the task is completed, zones will be demarcated on the growth of varieties of vegetable and other crops, fruit etc. to uplift the livelihood of farmers and to increase productivity.
The programme is initiated as a pilot project in the Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura districts first and will be expanded countrywide, Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayake said.
The minister said so inaugurating the ‘Let's rise up together - let's win the Yala cultivation season’ special Yala cultivation programme at Padikaramaduwa paddy fields in Galenbidunuwewa DS division.
The Minister participated in the ploughing and sowing activities with the farmers. On the occasion, farmer families were distributed with manioc saplings and seed soya to attend to Yala 2018 cultivation.
Referring to the drought, the Minister said under the 2018 Yala cultivation programme, it was targeted to educate 100,000 farmers regarding the task of successfully facing the drought and the proposed water management and cultivation pattern.
“We are offering solid fertilizer at Rs. 500 – the subsidized price for farmers and the fertilizer subsidy is granted for additional food crops at Rs. 1,500 per 50 kg bag available in the open market. The government is thus offering a subsidy of Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 2,000, incurring a cost of Rs. 40 billion annually to provide fertilizer,” Minister Dissanayake added.
He said without recovering any subscription, a new crop insurance scheme has been introduced under which a free insurance cover worth Rs. 40,000 per acre is offered. The government contributes Rs. 3,600 per acre to the scheme on behalf of the farmers.
The Mahasangha also attended the religious rituals at the ceremony. Agriculture Secretary P. Wijerathne was also present.
Add new comment