Time to minimize imports and grow our own food: President
President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday reiterated the need to put an end to food imports as most foods could be produced or grown in the country as an astronomical sum of Rs. 200 billion was spent annually for the import of foods, which affects the economy badly.
He added the government’s ambitious target to make Sri Lanka a ‘Centre of Excellence’ or a ‘Smart Nation’ in South Asia would be in vain unless Sri Lanka achieved self sufficiency in food by 2020.
President Sirisena headed a discussion on the National Food Production Programme which was held at the President’s House yesterday.
The National Food Production Programme was initiated according to a concept of the President to make the country self-sufficient with regards to food. It was started as most food stuffs, which were currently imported could be produced locally, using every possible inch of our land for cultivation. This programme was launched recently in Iranamadu in the Kilinochchi District under the patronage of the President ,which was then carried out island-wide.
The president said contributions should be received from every sector to make this programme a resounding success. He pointed out the importance of the direct intervention of ministers as well as government officers in this National effort. He assured that he would personally monitor the performance of this programme by visiting every district in the future. The President stated that he would visit the Northern and Eastern Provinces to look into the issues faced by the people there.
During the conduct of the programme, it was decided to select the best farmer island wide.
President Sirisena pointed out the significance of the close cooperation between the Agriculture Ministry and the Ministry of Commerce to strengthen the hands of the farming community by helping them to get their produce to the market in time. Commenting on the National Programme on Food Production 2016-2018, President Sirisena said Sri Lanka was currently spending Rs. 200 billion annually to import foodstuff. However, such foods can be locally produced, higenically packaged and sold to the market free of contaminants. Animal husbandry and fisheries products too could be worked on in this manner. Therefore, the time was right to minimize the expenditure on imports by producing as many products as possible locally.
Accordingly, the National Programme on Food Production was to be implemented with the contribution of all the ministries and institutions with an estimated cost of Rs. 15,595 million. The programme intends to ensure
Programme on Food Production was to be implemented with the contribution of all the ministries and institutions with an estimated cost of Rs. 15,595 million
balanced development in the country by introduction and launch of a crop production programme, based on Agro-environmental Zones. The attaining of self-sufficiency in food items that could be locally produced, thereby saving a huge amount of foreign exchange was the ultimate goal of the programme. Ensuring food security by efficient transportation, distribution and effective management of buffer stocks of food etc. were the other goals to be met by the programme launched by the government. Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Ministers Ravi Karunanayake, Vajira Abeywardena, S. B. Dissanayake, Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, P. Harrison, Mahinda Amaraweera, Daya Gamage and Vijith Wijayamuni de Soyza participated.