Change food habits - Gammanpila

Shirley Wijesinghe

Sri Lanka was able withstand all pressures exerted by foreign countries to suspend military operations since it was self sufficient in food, Western Provincial Council Agriculture, Industries and Environment Minister Udaya Gammanpila said.

Likewise we should always lay emphasis on local production, Gammanpila said.

He was addressing a meeting after launching "The One week National Food Program" to support the "Api Wawamu, Rata Nagamu" National Food cultivation drive commencing from the Western Province yesterday.

"Let us change our food habits specially doing away with imported food stuff and revert to our indigenous food items like potatoes and yams," Gammanpila pointed out. Stressing the importance of conserving certain vegetable species that are threatened with extinction, the Minister said a habit of cultivating rare vegetable species on large scale will pave the way for a sustainable economy too.