MUSHROOM INDUSTRY GETS RS. 400 MN FROM S. KOREA TO BOOST CULTIVATION

The South Korean government has allocated Rs. 400 million to develop mushroom cultivation in the Kegalle district under a joint project of the Korean SEMAUL Global Foundation and the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council. The project has already been implemented in Pitiyagama, Hewadiwela and Walpola in the Kegalle District.

The mushroom seed nursery Pinnawala “Apegama” Model Village was declared open on Monday (12) by Sabaragamuwa Province Governor Niluka Ekanayake. The project costing Rs. 5 million was funded by the provincial council.

Addressing the ceremony the governor said the mushroom cultivation project would be expanded to several other villages in the district. She pointed out that more than 500 families in the district had joined the project and a leading company has undertaken to provide a remunerative market for their produce.

“Mushroom cooperative societies would be established in every village to empower the farmer families that join the project. Steps were being taken to improve the infrastructure facilities in these villages and to provide recreation facilities and Korean language training to the cultivators. Several teams had undergone training in Korea on the trade and another team would visit Korea soon. The mushroom seed nursery would meet the entire requirement of seed for the project.

Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Secretary to the Provincial Ministry of Industries D.M. Malani, Secretary to the Provincial Ministry of Agriculture Sunil Premachandra, Asst. Director Planning Anuruddha Bandara, Representative of the Korean Government Prof. Kin Hank Young and Resident Director of the Project Park Byng Kyn and the Sri Lankan Coordinator of the project Viraj Sampath were present at the occasion.