SL on new economic path - Minister Mahinda Yapa
Ishara MUDUGAMUWA
Sri lanka has now embarked on a new path of economic growth and
development, said Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane.
Participating as chief guest at the inauguration ceremony of the 27th
Technical Committee Meeting of the Centre for Integrated Rural
Development in Asia and the Pacific(CIRDAP) at the Hector Kobbakaduwa
Agrarian Research and Training Institute yesterday, Minister Abeywardane
said agricultural and rural development policies, programmes and
projects are crucial for the economic growth and development of Sri
Lanka.
The minister said Sri Lanka is predominately an agricultural country
in some form or other, either as a producer, a consumer or as a person
in the marketing chain or service sector.
The potential for agriculture to contribute to poverty alleviation is
vast. The rural areas comprise 70-80 percent of the country.
About two million families are engaged in farming as their main
occupation. More than 70 percent of paddy farms belong to the small
farmer category owning less than one hectare of land. "The country's
policies even before independence had encouraged domestic agriculture
with restoration of old tanks and construction of new irrigation schemes
in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka.
"The motto of the current policy is 'Winning the Economic War' and
making the country the 'Wonder of Asia'. These describe priority in
agriculture and rural development. The current economic development
strategy of Sri Lanka is titled the 'Mahinda Chinthana' or 'Thoughts of
Mahinda' based on the vision of the President to achieve growth rates
above 8 percent per annum and double the current per capita income to
reach around 4000 US dollars by year 2016." the minister said.
He said the Ministries of Agriculture, Agrarian Services and
Wildlife, Economic Development and Livestock and Community Development
are the major ministries responsible for agriculture and rural
development in Sri Lanka. The Agriculture Ministry implements most of
the development programs at village level with the participation of the
village community.
"Samurdhi, Divi Neguma, Gama Neguma, Pura Neguma, minor tanks and
irrigation rehabilitation programme, provincial development programs are
some of the major rural development and poverty alleviation programmes
implemented by the government. Separate agricultural and rural
development programmes have been launched the in nine provinces based on
regional growth and development initiatives." he said.
"Promoting development in rural areas is a slow and complex process.
It requires simultaneous action in various sectors, in an environment of
rapid and volatile change. The change comes from internal as well as
external processes such as privatization, liberalization and
globalization, through scattered forces and different levels. Therefore,
national, regional and international efforts are required to address
issues related to rural development." the minister said.
Agriculture Ministry Secretary W. Sakalasooriya, CIRDAP Director
General Durga P. Paudyal, HARTI Director Lalith Kantha Jayasekara,
Representatives from CARDAP member countries and many other
distinguished guests participated at the occasion.
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