President orders fertilizer for every Northern farmer

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

The government is stepping up efforts to develop the Northern Province through agricultural development. Agrarian and Wildlife Minister S M Chandrasena yesterday told the Daily News that the ministry was asked by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to release fertilizer to every new farmer in the North to increase the North's grain production and vegetable yield.

He said his ministry's Fertilizer Secretariat is currently releasing fertilizer to the Northern farmers who grow paddy, vegetables and fruits.

"Improving their economic and living conditions by establishing agricultural stability and advancement will continue to be the government's top priority," he said. The Agrarian Ministry is taking steps to revamp the affected grape cultivation in the province. Steps will be taken to reconstruct irrigation tanks and ponds that were damaged during the conflict, he said.

The Economic Development Ministry will play a vital role in the agricultural development effort by taking measures to improve economic conditions of the farmers by embarking on a series of efforts to develop infrastructure in the districts and to transfer agriculture technologies.

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa has promised funds under Uthuru Wasanthaya to create the industrial structure to set agricultural programmes on a firm footing. Minister Chandrasena said the Agrarian Ministry has its funds to support the farmers and also funds of the Economic Development Ministry. "We can also get funds from the Treasury," he added.

Asked about the problems affecting the Northern farmer, Minister Chandrasena said he made a three-day visit recently to the North to meet the public in the Vavuniya, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Jaffna districts to check agricultural and social conditions in them.

The visit was made following a ministerial meeting held at Temple Trees where President Mahinda Rajapaksa told agricultural authorities to go to the North to develop agriculture in that area for they cannot develop agriculture there by being in Colombo.

Chandrasena said: "The people of the North want to restart agriculture more than anything else. They want to forget the war. When I talk to them they are positive about utilizing their lands to grow crops. They said they were happy with the government's fertilizer subsidy and said they have been missing that benefit for decades because of the conflict."

"The farmers in Kilinochchi and Jaffna said they want varieties of quality seed paddy. They also wanted vegetable seeds to begin cultivation," he said. They wanted the government to find a market for their agriculture products, said the minister. They emphasized the need for agricultural officers to support them and said they want Agrarian Service Centers in their districts.

Minister Chandrasena said the Agrarian Service Ministry is taking steps to distribute varieties of seed paddy and vegetable seeds free of charge among the Northern farmers.

"We will also have Agrarian Service Centers put up in Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Jaffna and Mannar. The President has directed Agriculture Officers and the Economic Development Ministry to meet the farmers' requirements," he said.