Cabinet nod to import supplementary food crop seeds from India

Cabinet has given approval to import supplementary food crop seeds from India to be distributed free among farmers on a proposal by Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

Addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing at the Information Department yesterday, acting Cabinet spokesman and Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said that the required quantities of green gram, black gram, ground nuts, Bombay onions, cowpea and chillies will be purchased from India at of Rs 48.46 million.

"Due to heavy rains experienced during the early part of this year, 45,000 hectares of supplementary food crop cultivation were affected. These imported seeds will be distributed among needy farmers," he said.

Yapa said that 157,000 hectares of paddy cultivation was also destroyed due to rains.

"Seed paddy will be locally produced and distributed among these paddy farmers," he said.