Special project to promote fruit cultivation
 

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

The Agriculture Ministry has formulated a special project to promote local fruit cultivation which is in a state of decline at present.

As a first step the Ministry has made arrangements to cultivate oranges on 300 acres in Bibile during this year, Deputy Agriculture Minister A. P. Jagath Pushpakumara said.

According to the Deputy Minister local fruit cultivation has suffered a setback during the past several years. At present a large quantity of fruits in the local market are imported, spending a considerable amount of foreign exchange spent on fruit imports while denying consumers the opportunity to obtain locally grown fresh fruits.

Having considered this situation, the Ministry has taken immediate measures to promote local fruit cultivation, he said.

The Ministry intends to expand fruit cultivation throughout the country next year by with emphasis given on fruit varieties accustomed to the climatic conditions in Sri Lanka, the Deputy Minister said. "If local fruit cultivation is improved, there is no need to create a special market for fruits, there is already a good demand for such fruits in the local market at present. Promoting high quality fruit varieties will provide the opportunity to local farmers to obtain a satisfactory income for their produce."

Pushpakumara said when attempts are made by the Ministry to expand fruit cultivation, low income families will be given opportunities to cultivate fruits. The expansion of fruit cultivation will generate a large number of employment opportunities from the beginning of cultivation to its consumption. Fruit cultivation can be effectively used to minimise the country's poverty and also as a solution to the unemployment problem.