President tells authorities:

Give prominence to practical measures

Rasika SOMARATHNA

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday urged the authorities to give prominence to practical measures, when addressing difficulties faced by Lankan farmers.

He directed them to examine ways of improving market access and competitiveness of local crops.

The President emphasised the need to introduce new technology and to encourage foreign investment.

The President made these observations when he met officials of the Plantation Industries, Coconut Development and Minor Export Crop Promotion Ministries at Temple Trees yesterday.

The meeting was organised to review the progress of the plantation sector last year and to seek suggestions and ideas from officials on areas of improvement, in view of including them in the next budget proposals.

The other important issues discussed were, enhancing fertilizer subsidy, providing farmers high quality seed varieties with high yield, upgrading factories, improving management, overcoming post harvest complications and making the farmers and public aware of safety measures that should be adopted when using weedicides and pesticides.

Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe presented a report to the President giving details of 15,000 hectares of abandoned land which can be used for cultivation. Coconut Development Minister Jagath Pushpakumara presented a report on the progress of coconut cultivation titled Kapruka Navodaya.

Minor Export Crop Promotion Minister Reginald Cooray and Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and Planning and Economic Development Dr.P.B.Jayasundera also participated.