Task Force to strengthen Api Wawamu Rata Hadamu

Positive result in National food production :

Uditha Kumarasinghe

A Presidential Task Force has been set up to further strengthen the Government national food productive drive Api Wawamu Rata Hadamu (Let’s grow to build the Nation).

This national food production drive launched countrywide on September 3 last year has achieved a number of positive results during the past six months, Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Minister Maithripala Sirisena told the weekly Cabinet press briefing yesterday.

A huge public participation has been made on this national programme. Schoolchildren and politicians have extended their fullest support to implement this programme, he said.

“I submitted the memorandum to appoint a Presidential Task Force on this national food production drive after attending the SAARC Agriculture Ministers Summit in India last week.” According to the Minister, food prices in the World Market will go up rapidly next year.

Therefore some countries have already stopped exporting local food items. Steps were taken to set up this Presidential Task Force to further strengthen the Government’s national food production drive to face this situation, he said.

The country’s home garden sector has achieved considerable progress over the past six years due to the national food productive drive. Nearly 160,000 home gardens have been prepared during the past six months. Under this programme, nearly 10,000 hectares of paddy lands have also been developed during the past six months.

According to powers vested in the Ministry by the Agrarian Services Act, the Ministry will compel the land owners to use their unutilised lands for cultivation, he said.

The Ministry has made arrangements to summon all Agriculture officers and farmer organisations in the Colombo district to the National Youth Centre, Maharagama on March 17. A special food production drive restricted only to the Western Province will be introduced at this ceremony which will be held under the Indian High Commissioner’s patronage.