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| Sunday, 4 December 2005 |
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Enthroning farmers by Deepal Warnakulasuriya Agriculture Minister Maithreepala Sirisena revealed to Sunday Observer that Cabinet approval has been granted to set up a National Agriculture Policy (NAP) fulfilling a long felt need of the people who brought the country prestige as a self sufficient country. The Minister said that the NAP would address farmers woes on production, distribution, marketing, storage, exports and imports and any issue relating to the agriculture sector. He also said that within two weeks Cabinet members have planned to meet with university lecturers, intellectuals, NGOs, religious dignitaries and relevant personalities to appoint a national commission to run the process. Sirisena also said that he would take steps not to change this kind of national policies with a change of a regime or an arrival of a new minister to the Ministry. He further added that keeping a pledge in the Mahinda Chinthana the government had taken steps to provide any type of inorganic fertilizer (50 kg bag) for Rs. 350 for paddy, vegetable and fruit farmers as the first phase of the program from December 5 (tomorrow) and in the second phase the subsidy would be given for minor export crops and tea, rubber and coconut growers. He said that the government has allocated Rs. 12 billion for the coming year and for every metric ton Government spends Rs. 27,000 to give this subsidy. However he also added that the Government took this step not as a subsidy but as a future investment. Minister Sirisena said that the scheme would benefit over one million farmers and they could purchase their fertiliser from the Agrarian Service Departments, Co-operative shops, farmers' associations and private sector distributors at the reduced price. He also added that arrangements were being made to re-open the Paddy Marketing Board in January 2006 and new stores will be constructed in Polonnaruwa, Ampara, Anuradhapura, Hambantota and Kurunegala in the shortest period. He concluded saying that the government's aim is not to leave room for farmers to come to the roads picketing. |
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