Cabinet paper to be submitted for reducing electricity charges for Northern farmers
Agriculture and Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that a Cabinet paper will be submitted to reduce the electricity charges for farmers in the Northern Province who need electricity for agricultural purposes.
The Minister said that this decision is taken in consideration of the commitment of the people of the Northern Province to carry out agriculture, especially since there are people in the province who have suffered due to the 30-year war.
The Minister stated this while participating in the inauguration of the Passion Fruit Production Technical Demonstration Park and the Jumbo Groundnut Production Farming Company, which have been established in connection with the 100-acre Passion Fruit Plantation in Kilinochchi Akkarayankulam, introduced by the Agriculture Sector Modernisation Project under the Agriculture and Plantation Industries Ministry.
The Passion Fruit Technical Demonstration Park was recently opened in Akkarayankulam by Minister Amaraweera. Two hundred farmers have started passion fruit cultivation and the passion fruit factory established with the participation of those farmers was also opened by the Minister.
This passion fruit cultivation has been planned targeting the export market as well as the local market. Farmers are growing passion fruit using new techniques so that they can get more yields.
The Minister also inaugurated the jumbo groundnut-related production factory cultivated by 500 farmers in the two villages Kandavalai and Karachchi in Kilinochchi.
The Lanka jumbo peanut variety introduced by the Department of Agriculture is cultivated by these farmers and 2K Jumbo Peanut Manufacturing (Pvt) Ltd. is jointly established by farmers from the two villages of Kandavalai and Karachchi. The institute was also inaugurated by the Minister.
This cultivation and processing centre has also been implemented under the Agriculture Sector Modernisation Project. This jumbo peanut manufacturing company makes many products with peanuts, including salted jumbo peanuts, jumbo peanut butter, fried peanuts, peanut biscuits, raw jumbo peanuts, roasted jumbo peanuts, peanut halwa, peanut oil, and peanut pakoda.
The Minister also presented the machines needed for jumbo groundnut cultivation to the farming company.
Minister Amaraweera said: “The President advised that most of the money allocated to the Ministries should be allocated for the people of the Northern and Eastern Provinces when implementing development activities. The people in the Northern Province suffered from the war that lasted for 30 years. But they didn’t give up farming even in the midst of those troubles.
Because of this, the farmers of the Northern Province have made a request to provide some relief when they use electricity in their agricultural activities.”
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