The Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera, proposed yesterday (20) to start a technical exchange program with the countries of the Asia Pacific region regarding the modernization of agriculture in SL.
The 37th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization is scheduled to hold several rounds of bilateral discussions with the Ministers of Agriculture and senior officials. Yesterday afternoon, a bilateral discussion was held with Mr. Norikasu Suzuki, the Minister of Agriculture of Japan, and Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera, who are participating in this conference, at the Colombo Hilton Hotel.
According to the matters discussed there, the minister who spoke about the minimum yield per hectare of paddy cultivation in our country. He said that the lack of proper use of new technology for agriculture in this country has been the reason for the decrease in yield.
As a remedy, attention was also paid to start a Japanese agricultural technology exchange program.
Regarding the current obstacles for exporting fruits such as mangoes and pineapples grown in our country to Japan, he also discussed raising the dairy industry and providing the farmers of this country with the new technical methods used by Japan for the development of livestock.
Also, the Minister of Agriculture of Japan made a request to relax the existing import restrictions for the import of Sticky Rice, which is used for tourists in star hotels in this country.
Meanwhile, the minister also held bilateral talks with a group of officials including Philippine Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. Since the rice research activities in the Philippines are very successful, ideas were also exchanged regarding an arrangement for the exchange of those research methods.
Today is the final day of the 37th Asia Pacific Regional Summit. Bilateral negotiations with seven countries are to be started today and a large group of agriculture ministers are going to visit the Bataatha Agricultural Park tomorrow (22).
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