New project to plant rubber in Moneragala

Shirley WIJESINGHE

The Plantation Ministry has commenced a project to cultivate 40,000 hectares of rubber in Moneragala district under the Rubber Small Holders Entre-preneurship Development Program in keeping with the Mahinda Chinthana policy of bringing in economic development to under developed rural areas.

Over 1,500 hectares had been cultivated so far under this project and it is to be continued till 2016. The Ministry has also planned to cultivate rubber in 2,500 acres newly during this year and provide required infrastructure facilities with the latest technology to the cultivators under the project.

After reviewing progress of the project in Moneragala , Plantation Minister D.M. Jayaratne said that Moneragala district should become the centre of the high quality latex production in the country.

Plantation Industry has recorded significant progress under the leadership of present Government and had made a remarkable contribution to the country's economy, Minister said. Minister Jayaratne also visited the rubber seedling nursery related to the new plantation in Moneragala district.

"Today we are living within a complex social environment. All people have only one aspiration to develop the country after freeing it from three decades of LTTE terrorism. He said that his main task is to develop the country through the mobilization of plantation workers and giving them their due place as leaders contributing to the national economy.