Farmers back to the plough in Jaffna

COLOMBO: Agricultural activities severely hampered due to the closure of the A-9 route in the Jaffna Peninsula since August this year is picking up fast, Minister and EPDP leader Douglas Devananda who is currently in Jaffna said.

"Since the closure of the A-9 route following clashes in August, farmers in the Peninsula were affected without fertiliser and fuel for their cultivation. However now the situation has improved very much with the supply of fertiliser and fuel to farmers in the North. The prices of vegetables which went up in the past few months are now gradually coming down, Devananda told the Daily News.

He also added that arrangements were being made to start a ferry service between Kurikattuwan and Thalaimannar which would have a sailing time of four hours.

"At the moment, vessels sailing between Trincomalee and Jaffna take around two days to reach their destinations."

Once the ferry service is launched from Thalaimannar, the sailing will only be for four hours and the agricultural products could reach the South without any damage.

"Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has also given his blessings for the plan to operate the ferry service between Thalaimannar and Kurikattuwan, Jaffna," Devananda said.

The Minister who is attending to hundreds of civilians from various parts of the Peninsula daily from his office, said the day-to-day life in the North in the New Year was expected to return to normal with the regular availability of essential items.

"A rehabilitation programme for over 3,000 widows who have become destitute due to the conflict in the North, has also been launched successfully with micro self-employment projects for the widows.

"The electricity supply is back to normal along with banking activities.The hours of curfew are also being reduced gradually," the Minister added.