Soya, maize to be cultivated on large scale

Nimal Wijesinghe Anuradhapura Additional District group correspondent

Soya and maize will be cultivated in the North Central Province on 100,000 acres in Maha and Yala cultivation seasons this year, North Central Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake said.

There is a record awakening of paddy cultivation in the NCP and there has been a surplus harvest at present. Soya, maize and kurakkan will be cultivated on large scale in the region to make the farmer community richer. ‘The Provincial Council with government support will make ample stores and marketing facilities available for the farmer,” the Chief Minister emphasized.

Secretary to the Finance Ministry P B Jayasundara in his recent tour in Anuradhapura said that it was planned to put up a range of storage complexes with modern facilities in the Anuradhapura district where the paddy and other crops harvest could be stored safely and at these centres drying and processing facilities would also be provided. Under this programme a large scale warehouse complex would be constructed in Yakalla in Huruluwewa area.

The World Food Programme would patronize the storage facilities upgrading venture. It was disclosed at the discussions that a large building complex consisting of 125,000 square feet, at Oyamaduwa, Deyata Kirula exhibition grounds would be converted to a crops storage complex after the exhibition.