Divi Neguma launch on March 12:

One million domestic economic units

Chaminda PERERA

In a bid to uplift the economic and nutritional level of the family unit, the Government will launch the National program titled Divi Neguma to set up one million domestic economic units islandwide on March 12.

The Government will provide technical and physical assistance to the families who wish to initiate projects in fields ranging from agriculture, fishing to industry.

This program is a concept of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to promote local food production and strengthen the economy of the smallest unit of the society - the family.

This project is implemented by the Economic Development Ministry in coordination with Government Ministries and institutions.

Under the first phase of the project, a hundred families in each GN division who wished to initiate agriculture projects would be given technical and physical assistance by the Government.

These families are to be provided with a pack comprising vegetable seeds and fertilizer.

According to Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa the families who opted to grow vegetables under this project are given a training by the agriculture development officers from the phase of ground preparing to yielding harvest.

He was of the view that this project would fulfill the vegetable needs of the families and promote their nutritional requirements.

The Minister was addressing a special press conference at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday.

He added that the country can save more than Rs 15 billion if this project becomes a success.

Each vegetable seed pack contains 250 seeds of five varieties of vegetables such as tomatoes, chilies, beans, ladies fingers and green leaves.

These vegetable varieties can be grown on a land area of two perches.

The Minister added that 250 vegetable plants can be grown in a two perch land. The people do not need a large extent of land for this purpose, he said.

Grama Niladhari, Samurdhi Niladhari, Agriculture Development Officer and Midwife of every GN division have been assigned to monitor the progress of this project everyday. Minister Rajapaksa was of the view that this program will increase the daily consumption of vegetables and promote the nutritional level of such families.

This special seed and fertilizer pack will be distributed among the representatives of farmer societies who are scheduled to meet at Temple Trees today.

The Minister said the Government will provide technical and physical assistance worth Rs 10,000 to each such project . These families can obtain loans at concessionary interest from the Sanasa Banks and other State banks if they require more funds.

He said that the Government has the fullest confidence that the officials at grass-roots level will extend their cooperation to make this project a success.

“There are more than 1.4 million lands which are less than 40 perch in extent.

He was of the view that this type of home gardening projects can be implemented on such lands and it would not affect the people who are growing vegetables on a mass scale.

Those who are engaged in the poultry industry or any type of industry on a mass scale would not face any problem through implementing this program, the Minister said.

Planting coconut trees to meet the daily need of each family will never affect the mass scale coconut growers as they have enormous demand from the companies producing coconut oil and desiccated coconut exporters.

These officials are in the process of discussing with the families in each GN division about the project that they wish to initiate.

The Minister added that the Government has given special focus on the production of vegetables on the directive of the President.

The Minister admitted that the country has a shortage of milch cows though milk production has increased during the last two years.

Minister Rajapaksa added that the Pakistan Government has agreed to provide milch cows to Sri Lanka on a request made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa during the visit of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari.

“Our officials have inspected the cows,” he added.

Minister Rajapaksa distributed seeds and fertilizer packs among the journalists too. Research and Technology Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Rural Affairs Senior Minister Athauda Seneviratne, Agrarian Services and Wildlife Minister S M Chandrasena, Minor Export Crops Promotion Minister Reginold Cooray and Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena were present.