Mannar 'rice bowl' revived after 30 years:
Mannar to become a rice exporting zone
Nimal WIJESINGHE-Anuradhapura Additional District
Group Corr
The Economic Development Ministry envisages to promote the Mannar
district's paddy cultivation zone as a rice exporting zone under the
patronage of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
For the realization of this agenda, top priority is being given for
scientific water management and strengthening the rice milling capacity
in the region while offering more facilities to the farmer community
with regard to livelihood empowerment.
The paddy cultivation in the Mannar district which was once called
the country's rice bowl is being revived to its previous prestigious
position after nearly 33 years.
Mannar District Residential Irrigation Engineer H. M. A. Nelugolla
told the Daily News that as a result of the accelerated irrigation
development plan implemented during the last two years, the farmers in
the Mannar district are being blessed with a huge paddy harvest of
around 80,000 metric tons during the ongoing Maha cultivation
season.Nelugolla added that for the rehabilitation of the Giant Tank and
its irrigation canal system including the repairing of the cascade, the
Economic Development Ministry has allocated Rs 525 million.
"Under Giant Tank alone, 30,000 acres of paddy has been grown in the
Maha cultivation season.
We have been able to restore about 80 kilometres of the canal network
in addition to the 10 main canals which were in a dilapidated condition.
"The majority of the internally displaced families residing in the
Chettikulam refugee camp have returned to Mannar to take up
cultivation," Nelugolla said.
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