Re-cultivation of 11,000 acres of abandoned paddy land planned

The government intends to re-cultivate 11,000 acres of abandoned paddy land before end of this year to prepare for a potential food crisis, Agriculture State Minister Mohan Priyadarshana De Silva said. The State Minister pointed out that the programme for harvesting abandoned paddy lands is being implemented through the Department of Agrarian Development, and the government has allocated Rs.420 million for this purpose. He expressed these views during a press conference themed ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country’ held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) on Thursday. State Minister Mohan Priyadarshana De Silva commented; The export of rice has been temporarily halted by Pakistan and India in order to deal with a potential future global food crisis. Some nations are also experiencing a rice crisis as a result of India stopping the export of rice. Therefore, as a country, we must likewise get ready to deal with this calamity. The government cannot improve the country’s agriculture industry alone. Support from everyone is necessary for that. As a result, the government has chosen to replant the nation’s abandoned paddy lands. Under the initial phase, the Department of Agrarian Development is working to cultivate 11,000 acres. The government has allocated 420 million rupees for this purpose.