Ministry aims at speedy additional crop production
Ishara MUDUGAMUWA
The Agriculture Ministry has taken measures to increase the
production of 11 crop varieties under the process of additional crop
production of the ministry, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa
Abeywardane said.
Big onions, red onions, chillies, maize, kurakkan, green gram,
chickpeas, black gram, soya beans, peanuts and sesame seeds will be
cultivated under this programme. The ministry will provide seeds to the
farmers, he said.
"With this new programme, the ministry hopes to enhance the annual
big onion production to 240,570 metric tons by 2015 and 250,300 metric
tons in 2020. About 158,086 metric tons of big onions were imported last
year. The ministry plans to reduce big onion imports by 100 metric tons
in 2015," the minister said.
Abeywardena said the ministry also plans to enhance red onion
production to 56,500 metric tons this year and 60,750 metric tons in
2020. About 11,908 metric tons of red onions were imported in 2011. The
ministry plans to reduce it to 500 metric tons. The Agriculture Ministry
plans to enhance chilli production to 52,500 metric tons in 2015 and
60,850 metric tons in 2020.
"Under this programme, the ministry also plans to enhance maize
production to 270,320 metric tons, kurakkan to 27,150 metric tons, green
gram to 45,170 metric tons, chickpeas to 18,590 metric tons, black gram
to 20,000 metric tons, soya beans to 14,600 metric tons, peanut to
21,920 metric tons and sesame seeds to 17, 650 metric tons by 2015," the
minister said.
He said the ministry will provide 10 million rupees to the District
Secretaries in big onion cultivation districts such as Badulla,
Moneragala, Hambantota, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala and Polonnaruwa to
cultivate 200 hectares. |