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.