A ‘fruitful’ exercise on New Year day

Two million fruit trees to be planted on April 14:

Shirley Wijesinghe

A campaign to plant two million fruit trees under a concept of Trade, Marketing Development and Cooperatives Minister Bandula Gunawardane will be ceremonially launched on the New Year day.

The main objective is to contribute to the Api Wawamu Rata Nagamu agricultural development drive at National level.

The inaugural ceremony will be held under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Provincial level ceremonies will be held under the patronage of respective Provincial Ministers.

The tree planting campaign is assisted by eight ministries including Agriculture and Agrarian Services, Plantation Industries, Environment and Natural Resources and all statutory bodies coming under the Ministry of Cooperatives and Cooperative Societies. Saplings of jak, bread fruit, coconut, mango, banana, papaw, lime, orange, rambutan will be planted.

The Coconut Development Board, Agriculture Department and Agrarian Services Department will provide the saplings.

Cooperative Societies, Sanasa General Association have established nurseries for supplying seedlings.

The Ministry has appealed to all members of Cooperative Societies to plant at least one in their home gardens.

The Ministry hopes to plant 20,000 seedlings of fruit bearing plants at National and Provincial level throughout the country.