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| Wednesday, 10 November 2004 |
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by Uditha Kumarasinghe The Agriculture, Lands and Irrigation Ministry will shortly launch a novel concept under the theme " Tharuna Govi Gammana( Youth Farmer Villages) with the intention of drawing the country's younger generation to take to agriculture as a profession unlike today where they have distanced themselves from such a venture. Initially, the Ministry will launch this as a pilot project with the establishment of 50 youth farmer villages in 50 selected villages countrywide during this year, Agriculture, Lands and Irrigation Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake told a media briefing yesterday. He said each youth farmer village to be established by the Ministry will consist between 50 to 100 young farmer families. Each farmer family selected for this project will be provided lands free of charge to commence their cultivation. The Ministry has already selected land to set up these youth farmer villages. At present the Ministry is conducting a survey to decide on the specific crop suitable for cultivation in each land selected for this project. The amount of land provided to farmer families will be different depending on the crop variety cultivated in these lands. However, the maximum amount of land provided to a single farmer family will be three acres,the Minister said. Dissanayake said the Ministry will provide all necessary guidelines such as technology, market information and other consultancy services needed for youth to commence their cultivation activities. The traditional structure of the local agriculture sector has resulted the youth distancing themselves from agricultural pursuits and preventing them taking agriculture as an occupation. The Ministry through this new concept will make an attitudinal change among youth by soliciting their contribution to develop the country's agriculture sphere, he said. He said: "The Colombo centred economy has also led to youth shying away from taking to agriculture. Therefore, the Youth Farmer Village concept intends to bring the benefits of economic development to the rural level by changing the Colombo centred economy." "At present the third generation farmers have given up agriculture due to the lack of lands to commence their cultivation. Therefore, the Ministry will also launch another programme in six districts to provide lands to the youth of farmer families. In order to overcome this situation, the Ministry will establish Land kachcheries in the Kurunegala, Puttalam, Matale, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Moneragala districts for this purpose,"the Minister said. |
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