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| Sunday, 22 January 2006 |
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Officials responsible for educating farmers - Chamal by Lionel Wijesiri Agricultural Development Ministry Chamal Rajapakse said, that Mahinda Chinthana could be made meaningful only if the Agriculture Department would be successful in saving the rural cultivator of the country from poverty. Intellectuals and learned officials of that department had great responsibility to make available to the farmers, the findings of their research activities, with the view to increase the production at a lesser cost", at the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Agriculture Department Audio Visual Centre at Gannoruwa, Peradeniya. The event took place at the Plant Genetic Resources Centre, Gannoruwa with him presiding. He was received by Assistant Director Audio Visual Centre Rohan Wijekoon. Minister Rajapakse also laid the foundation stone to the proposed Agriculture Department Administrative building complex. Minister Rajapakse added that it was a well-known fact, even in Giruwapattuwa, that 70 per cent of Sri Lanka's population involved in agricultural activities. Yet they were a poor set of people. Agriculture Department, therefore, had a great responsibility to save those agricultural people from that plight. One of the main objective of Mahinda Chinthana was to work for the benefit of farmers of the country. It was the expectation of President Mahinda Rajapakse, to mobilise all sections and all those experts in achieving that noble objective. Therefore it might be necessary to get the services of even retired officials. He noted his appreciation of the services rendered by the Audio Visual Centre during the past quarter of a century. By working with agriculture people, that subject could be made popular among the younger generation and there by raise their living standards. More benefits could be achieved by working hand in hand with Provincial Council Minister in charge of the subject. He would draw his attention to the suggestion made by Provincial Minister Jayaratne Dissanayake that mobile audio visual services could be utilised to implement agriculture development projects and to educate farmers on findings of research added Minister Chamal Rajapakse. Secretary to the Agriculture Ministry Tissa Warnasuriya, Director General of Agriculture Dr. C. Kudagamage, Director S. H. M. G. Samarasinghe, Assistant Director Audio Visual Centre Rohan Wijekoon, former director of Agriculture S. Natesan, first assistant director of the centre Premananda Gunasekera were among those who addressed the celebrations. Awards were presented to a group of officials for their best
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