'Ban on imports that could be grown here'

Manjula Hiripitiya, Homagama roving corr

The import of all food items which can be grown locally will be banned within the next two years under the government's 'Api Wawamu - Rata Nagamu' food production drive, said Agricultural and Agrarian Services Minister Maithripala Sirisena.

The Minister said so addressing schoolchildren in the Homagama education zone under an awareness program about the 'National Food Week' held at the Homagama Madya Maha Vidyalaya hall recently.

Minister Sirisena said the National Food Week is part of the 'Api Wawamu - Rata Nagamu' food production drive and the ministry has arranged to educate schoolchildren on the program during the food week. The prime objective of this program is to cultivate food items needed by the country in the future.

Sirisena said Sri Lanka which had a proud history of over 2,500 years had a fertile soil and a favourable climate for the cultivation of crops in keeping with our cultural and social heritage.

After eradicating the terrorist menace and restoring peace the government has steered the country along a path to development.

Food items we need and do not need had to be properly identified before launching cultivation programs.

Self sufficiency in food would not be a difficult goal to achieve if we undertook agricultural production on a sound footing. He said 160,000 new homegardens had been launched last year under the food production drive and this was a major achievement in the food production sphere.

Agrarian Services Commissioner General Ravindra Hewavitharana also spoke.