Crash program to cultivate vegetables

by L.S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

The Presidential Task Force for flood relief targets the cultivation of 2,000 ha of vegetables in the Central Province to curb the rising vegetable prices, said Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

The government will provide every incentive and assistance to those who come forward to assist the government's crash programme to cultivate food crops. The seed paddy will be given free to the flood-hit paddy farmers. Vegetable seeds can be bought at 50 percent of the value, he said.

Vegetable cultivators in Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy and Kegalle districts had collected vegetable seeds from the respective district secretaries - last week.

An area of ten square feet is sufficient to cultivate chillies, or tomato or any other food crop.

The aim of the crash vegetable cultivation programme is to encourage people and school children to cultivate at least one vegetable at this juncture as the vegetable harvest has been destroyed, minister stressed.

The amount of seed paddy required in the flood-hit districts is estimated at one million bushels.

The Government is ready to give seed paddy free to owners of paddy fields, he said while 250,000 bushels of paddy remain with the government warehouses the balance 750,000 bushels were provided by the private sector to the government, he said.

The government has decided to launch the yala season early.

The Presidential secretariat by its circular has called upon all heads of departments and the State Institutions to cultivate all neglected State lands under their purview.