Agriculture Department celebrates century

Ishara MUDUGAMUWA

The National Farmers' Week and Agriculture Department century celebrations will be held in Gannoruwa, Kandy from July 20-25.

The opening ceremony of the Farmers' Week and the National Agriculture Exhibition will be held on July 20 under the patronage of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, according to the Agriculture Department Information and Communication Director Dr Rohan Wijekoon.

The construction of an agriculture museum will begin on July 22 under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa coinciding with the Farmers' Week, Wijekoon said. He added that as the Agriculture Department completes 100 years it has organised a number of programmes to mark the occasion. The department was established on May 20, 1912 and it has carried out a great service for the betterment of the county's agriculture sector since then.

The theme of the century celebrations is Hunger Free Proud Century.

"Sri Lankans never died due to starvation within the past hundred years and we have food for another hundred years. Currently, farmers have to face a lot of problems to sell their fruits and vegetables as the country has a surplus of fruits and vegetables," Wijekoon said.

He added that in 1948 the country had to import 70 percent of the requirement for the consumption of 7 million people. "But currently, we do not import a single seed of paddy for the consumption of 21 million people as we are self- sufficient in rice. The department plans to showcase the proud history of the country's agriculture," he said.

Admission to the exhibition is free of charge for schoolchildren and elders should buy a Govisetha ticket as the entrance ticket.