WB call to enhance paddy production
Hathoon SHERIFFDEEN
PROMOTION: Since Sri Lanka is self-sufficient in paddy to a
greater extent, promotional measures should be taken continuously to
enhance the paddy production en masse, said Chief Economist, South Asia
World Bank Shanta Devarajan.
“Paddy is a traditional crop in Sri Lankan agricultural sector. The
recent World Bank development report and the assessment reports indicate
the country is self-sufficient in its rice production. Our assessment
reports also indicate that we import a fair amount of rice for a month.
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CULTIVATION: School children too are now familiarised with
cultivation in some provincial areas.
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“Vegetable, fruits and serials are much lucrative avenues of earning
than paddy cultivation. This has a great demand in the local and
international markets.
“Crops such as fruits, onion, cashew nuts and spices are very much
remunerative in the international market, he said. Chairman of Colombo
Fertilizer Company N. F. M. Samsudeen said paddy farmers are looked
after well by the Government through subsidizing schemes.
“We distribute the fertilizer to the paddy farmers on subsidized
price which is Rs. 350 for a bag of 50 kilograms as falling in line with
the Mahinda Chinthanaya. Treasury loses Rs. 23000/= to 25000/= on each
metric ton of fertilizer.
The Colombo Fertilizer Company and the Colombo Commercial Fertilizer
Limited are the Government owned fertilizer institutions, in charge of
fertilizer distribution to farmers. In Year 2006, these institutions
have not distributed any other fertilizers than the paddy fertilizers”.
A. C. Karunaratne, a paddy farmer in Anuradhapura said though they
receive various subsidies they cannot sell the crops at a productive
price. |
