Agriculture Development Ministry poised to achieve 2006 targets

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

The Agriculture Development Ministry has planned to implement its proposed agricultural programme for 2006 at provincial and district level in collaboration with Provincial Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas fulfilling the pledges given to the farmer community in Mahinda Chintana.

The inaugural ceremony of implementing this agriculture programme was held at the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute, Colombo under the patronage of Agriculture Development Minister Chamal Rajapakse recently. Agriculture Ministers of all Provincial Councils participated.

Minister Rajapakse said the key objective of implementing this national agriculture programme is to implement agriculture programmes countrywide in accordance with the Mahinda Chintana manifesto. He said several long term and short term programmes should be implemented to make the agriculture development annunciated in the Mahinda Chintana.

In order to turn this objective into reality, Provincial Councils in collaboration with Agriculture Development Ministry should formulate plans and submit it to the Ministry. The Minister said: "Our basic objective is to take immediate measures to develop several key identified areas in the agriculture sector such as food production, food security, seed protection, environment protection and uplift the socio-economic conditions of farmer community.

Initiatives should also be taken to collect financial and human resources to achieve sustainable agriculture development through joint management."

Meanwhile, steps should be taken to upgrade the facilities of agriculture colleges to guide youth towards the agriculture sector utilising modern technology, he said.

According to the Minister, the Central Bank report has revealed the existence of 50 poorest Divisional Secretariat divisions in the country which also includes his village Weeraketiya.

Under the `Gama Neguma' programme, the Ministry has identified 15,000 rural villages to develop.

The Ministry also seeks the assistance of Provincial Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas to guide the agriculture sector towards a national objective through proper observation and inspection, the Minister said.