|
|
|
| Sunday, 26 June 2005 |
 |
|
 |
News |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
WFP to purchase locally grown rice by M.P. Muttiah World Food Program Country Director Jeff Taft-Dick said that the WFP would purchase 18,130 metric tonnes of rice from Sri Lankan farmers in the tsunami-affected districts. An agreement in this regard was signed by Jeff Taft-Dick and Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Ministry Secretary Tissa Warnakulasuriya at the Taj Samudra Hotel on June 24. Dick said that Japan and Australia were funding this project. Japan was funding US$ 8 million to purchase 13,000 metric tonnes of rice that would be distributed to people affected by the tsunami, while Australia would fund US$ 2 million to purchase 5,130 tonnes of rice that would used to in WFP programmes in the conflict affected areas of North and East. WFP's Country Director said that WFP had entered into agreement with the government of Sri Lanka for the first time in ten years to purchase rice locally. He said that bulk of food items had been imported in the past. However, given the good Maha harvest for paddy an opportunity arose for purchasing rice in Sri Lanka. The WFP would pay Rs.16.50 per kilo of paddy. He said that it would be beneficial for the paddy farmers in the tsunami-affected and conflict-affected districts as the government had bought their paddy at an incentive price. This project also helped to eliminate costly transport expenses to import rice and deliver it to the affected areas thus saving donors funding. Dick said that his organisation had despatched an average of 10,000 tonnes per month to provide food ration to 910,000 people. At the request of the Government, the WFP would continue food distributions until August this year to 720,000 Tsunami survivors. He said that from August onwards, WFP would pursue a more recovery-oriented approach to help people to begin the slow process of rebuilding their lives, livelihoods and communities. Australian High Commissioner Dr.Greg French and the Deputy Head of Japanese Mission in Colombo Hiroshi Karube assured that they would continue to help tsunami and conflict-affected people. Cooperative Development Ministry Secretary K. Mahanandan, WFP's National Program Officer Selvi Sachithanandan also addressed. |
|
|||||||||
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
