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New scheme to assist farmers

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

The Agriculture and Livestock Ministry has formulated a new subsidy scheme for farmers.

This new scheme will be operated with effect from September 1, Minister S.B.Dissanayake told a media briefing at the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute, Colombo yesterday.

A new coupon system will be introduced under the new scheme to safeguard small scale farmers. A Rs.1000 subsidy will be provided to farmers who cultivate up to one acre of land during a single season while Rs.1500 will be granted for farmers cultivating one to two acres. Those who cultivate two to three acres will be granted Rs.2000.

He said: "The Government cannot afford to spend Rs.3 billion for the fertilizer subsidy. In addition, most benefits of the subsidy scheme are obtained by large scale land owners. There is no need to give a subsidy to such people."

Representatives of the farmer organisations who participated in this discussion requested the Minister to consider the possibility of continuing this fertilizer subsidy for another two years.

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