Farmers should be saved from vicious circle - Minister

Shirley Wijesinghe

Farmer will linger in poverty unless and until he is saved from the clutches of the mudalalis, said Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon.

He said the village mudalali supplied chemicals, fertilizer and agricultural advice to the local farmers and ultimately the farmer has to sell his produce to the mudalali.

This is a vicious circle which keeps the farmer under the clutches of the mudalali.

He was addressing the farmers at the inaugural meeting of the Sri Lanka Nidahas Farmers' Association held at Yapagama , Dambulla recently.

Minister said that the backbone of the Sri Lanka economy is based on agriculture. The development of the country depends on agriculture.

All of us should overcome the mentality of depending on imports and try to build a mentality which emphasises reliance on local vegetables and fruits.

The Sri Lanka Nidahas Farmers' Association was formed by combining over 300 farmers' associations in the Dambulla electorate.

The main objective of the project is to address farmers' problems by forwarding them directly to the Government, the Minister said.

Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon was elected President of Sri Lanka Nidahas Farmers' Association.