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Guns for farmers

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

Farmers are to receive firearms to minimise the damage caused to their cultivations by various wild animals.

The Agriculture and Livestock Ministry will discuss this matter with the Defence Ministry to immediately issue gun licences to farmers. The financial assistance of Samurdhi and Govijana banks will be sought for this purpose.

New brands of guns will also be provided to the farmers in addition to the Czechoslovakian and Russian guns used in Sri Lanka, a spokesman for the Agriculture and Livestock Ministry told the Daily News.

He said the gun permits have already been sent to the Divisional Secretariats and the farmers should fill these applications. The land rights and assets value to apply for these gun permits have been minimised. The damage caused to the cultivation by wild boars will mainly be considered.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute, severe damage is caused to cultivations by wild animals. Sixty eight per cent of the farmers surveyed has highlighted this damage caused by wild animals as the most serious threat faced by them.

This survey has identified that wild boars cause the maximum damage. 

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