During the last six months it has been estimated that 93 million coconuts and 5.5 percent of paddy production have been destroyed by wildlife. We have planned to reduce the level of this massive loss by 50 percent at least within the next two years, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.
The Minister said so at a ceremony held recently at the Anuradhapura Ronorawa Agrarian Development Centre for the distribution of multipurpose agricultural equipment to farmer families under the World Bank funded SAPP project.
Minister Amaraweera stated that he was well aware of the hardships the farmers in Rajarata were experiencing at present from the human–elephant conflict (HEC). He said that there was no alternative to the construction of electric fences around the villages and paddy fields with the active participation of the community.
He promised that during the first quarter of 2023 the construction of proposed electric fences would be realized under World Bank and Asian Development Bank funded development projects now in progress in the district.
Minister Amaraweera inspected a number of maize plantations in Seeppukulama and Viruppankulama villages in response to the numerous complaints by farmer organizations that the fall armyworm was destroying the maize cultivation in these areas where maize cultivation was the main livelihood of the people.
The Minister while exchanging views with the maize farmers emphasized the Government was determined to gain maximum production of maize during the 2022/23 Maha season and onwards. If we fail to gather an adequate maize harvest in the Maha season, the chicken, eggs and milk production in the next year would decrease since maize is an essential ingredient to produce fodder, he said.
Minister Amaraweera said that in the near future, sustainable solutions would be implemented to thwart destruction of harvest due to the HEC, the threat of fall armyworm, etc., which affect the livelihood of farmers and there wouldn’t be any dearth of seed materials, chemical fertilizer and safe agrochemicals.
The Minister distributed multipurpose agricultural appliances to a number of farmers in Kahatagasdigiliya and Kebithigollewa agrarian development centres. At Kahatagasdigiliya, the Minister told farmers that action was being taken to equip all agrarian development centres with advanced agricultural equipment including threshing machines, tractors, seed planting machines, harvest machines, etc., funded by the World Bank. He said already such equipment has been provided to Weerawila agrarian development centre in the Tissamaharama area.
Former Minister Anuradhapura District Parliamentarian Duminda Dissanyake and Agriculture Secretary Gunadasa Samarasinghe were also present.
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