JKRSOTHY: Sri Lanka launches program to uplift the living standards of farmers

The Sri Lankan government has launched a programme with a future vision to uplift the life standards of the country's farming community, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said today addressing the National Farmers' Convention held at the Temple Trees this afternoon under his patronage.
Under an initiative of President around 7,000 farmers from 21 districts of the country attended the convention held under the theme "Family nutrition and economic uplifting".

The conference, aimed at enhancing agriculture and development of the economy, was organized by the Ministry of Agrarian Services and Wildlife to coincide with the launch of Divi Neguma program today by the President to establish one million home gardening units island wide.
The President said the program will be carried forward with full strength to uplift the farming community and crown the farmers. The government plans to launch the Divi Neguma program island wide on March 12.
President Rajapaksa also distributed a starter unit for the home gardening to the farmers.
The program aims to uplift the economic and nutritional level of the family unit by providing technical and physical assistance to the families who wish to initiate projects in fields ranging from agriculture to fishing industry.
Under the first phase of the project the government will provide technical and physical assistance to hundred families in each Grama Niladhari division to initiate agriculture projects.
Agrarian Services and Wildlife Minister S.M. Chandrasena has explained that there are 14,000 Grama Niladhari divisions in the country and under the programme, 100 houses will be assisted on a daily basis to commence the cultivation of food items.
The houses will be provided with plants, seeds and fertilizer to commence the programme. The residents could use the produce for their consumption.
The Divi Neguma programme would be assisted by the Agriculture Ministry and the Agrarian Services Ministry.
During the convention, the farmers also discussed the devastation caused by the recent floods and rains to their crops and the compensation for those famers who lost their crops.
Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa, Minister of Agrarian Services and Wildlife S. M. Chandrasena and the Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga were also present at the occasion.