Offers strength to Govt's Api Vavamu Rata Nagamu:

National Vap Magul on grand scale

Jayasiri Munasinghe in Kandalama

The 2009 National Vap Magul ceremony depicting Sri Lanka's proud ancient agro-civilization was held on a grand scale at the Kandalama paddy tract in Dambulla under the patronage of Agricultural Development and Agrarian Services Minister Maithripala Sirisena yesterday.

The ceremony offers strength to the Government's Api Vevamu - Rata Nagamu program of bringing 100,000 acres of paddy land under the plough within the next three years.

The Api Vavamu - Rata Nagamu program was launched in 2007 to offer the contribution of the agricultural sector to the country's development effort and ward off the ill effects of a world food crisis on Sri Lanka.

In 2008, the contribution of agriculture sector for overall development was 23 percent.

Agriculture had recorded a 4.5 percent progress in the first half of this year.

Farmer families in Kandalama and surrounding Dambulla area participated in yesterday's Vap Magul ceremony with great enthusiasm.

Minister Sirisena and other guests launched the ploughing ceremony at the auspicious time of 10.36 a.m. as the Maha Sangha chanted Seth Pirit.

Ministers Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, S.M. Chandrasena, Siripala Gamlath, Rohana Kumara Dissanayake, Chandrasiri Suriyaarachchi, Provincial Ministers Shantha Bandara, Sri Lal Wickramasinghe, Udaya Gammanpila, Nimal Piyatissa and other officials also participated.