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Survey on Agrarian Services Centres

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

The Agriculture Ministry has taken immediate measures to conduct a survey on countrywide Agrarian Services Centres which are in a state of decline at present with the intention of transforming them into properly equipped resource centres.

Agriculture Minister S.B.Dissanayake has instructed Ministry officials to inspect 475 Agrarian Services Centres (ASC) and submit a report before September 30. The inspection of 88 centres in the North-East areas has been temporary stopped.

The survey will identify the sectors to be developed and the methods to be followed to develop them. "A majority of ASCs are in a neglected state and they have been restricted only for the sale of seeds. As a result, farmers are not willing to come to these centres."

Minister Dissanayake briefed Ministry officials on this survey at the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute (HARTI), Colombo yesterday.

The survey will be done by the Ministry in collaboration with the HARTI, Department Agrarian Services and the Agriculture Development Authority.

The Minister said that in order to develop the country's agriculture and livestock sectors, the expansion service and the ACSs should be developed immediately. As the initial step, initiatives were taken to set up sales centres at each ASCs to provide quality agriculture products to consumers at concessionary rates.

But due to the lack of commitment of ASC officials, this sales centre programme is not being implemented.

He said during a recent visit made to Ampara area he found out that Army and Police units have been established in many ASCs in the area. Immediate steps will be taken to reestablish Agrarian Service Centres in these areas.

"If the ASCs are to be developed as resource centres, key emphasis should be laid on both agriculture and livestock sectors. Due to the lack of attention paid to the agriculture sector, the ASCs declined during the past few years.

This survey will enable officers obtain accurate information and transform the ASCs into resource centres under a systematic program," the Minister added.

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