Opportunity to develop agriculture and fisheries

The end to the thirty-year hostilities is a great opportunity to develop agriculture and the fisheries sectors in the North which will enable the country to be self sufficient in agri based food products, said Chairman, Pelawatte Dairy Industry and Mawbima Lanka Foundation, Ariyaseela Wickramanayake.

Ariyaseela Wickramanayake

"Importation of cheap agricultural products promoted by the open economy created resentment among people in the North who were primarily a agricultural community", Wickramanayake said.

He said the country has got the best opportunity to revive agriculture, fisheries and palmyra industries in the Northern and Eastern provinces and save the huge drain of foreign exchange on imports of onions, chilies, dried fish and milk.

Resettlement and infrastructure development should be expedited and the assistance of the private sector should be obtained to develop the provinces.

"Industries cannot be developed by encouraging imports. Many companies have increased sales by around 40 percent as a result of the use of the Suriya Sinha Logo in their products which recognises and promotes indigenous brands. Around 80 companies have obtained membership in the Mawbima Lanka Foundation", Wickramanayake said.

Wickramanayake said with the expansion plans and new investments on animal feed and dairy factories milk production will be increased by around 150,000 litres a day.

Pelawatte Dairy Industries has invested Rs. 300 million on animal feed factory while Rs. 760 million has been invested on the dairy factory.

"Plans are in place to increase the production of sugar at Sevanagala by around 100,000 tonnes this year to meet the growing national requirement", he said.

Over 25,000 people are employed in the dairy and sugar factories and they have been provided training on modern technology.

LF