Rs. 25 Bn allocated for Youth Agricultural Innovation Programme this year
Agriculture and Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that the President has allocated an amount of Rs. 25 billion to continue the modernisation programme in the agricultural sector this year.
The Minister expressed these views while participating in the occasion of giving the fruit plants required for the National Tree Planting Auspicious time on the 18th of this month to the Agriculture and Plantation Industries Ministry staff.
In order to get more productivity from the agricultural sector in Sri Lanka, new technology must be introduced to the agricultural sector. It is difficult to get high yield especially by following traditional methods. Also, it has become difficult for the farmers to get a high income and high yield. Due to this, there is a need to attract the youth community to agriculture in this country.
But there is a feeling in the youth community of this country that agriculture is not a profession that can earn more income. Therefore, in order to reconfirm the confidence of the youth community in agriculture, agricultural modernisation guidelines have been introduced using new technology.
Last year in Hambantota, Moneragala, Galle, Vavuniya and Kurunegala Districts the Youth Agri Entrepreneurship Village system was started and so far the work has been successful.
Therefore, the aim of this programme is to select at least 200 villages in 200 divisional secretariat divisions countrywide and develop them as youth agro-entrepreneurship villages. In particular, providing drone technology, using parachute discs for paddy cultivation, sprinkler water technology for irrigation as well as drip irrigation method, cultivating seeds that can get more yield as well as cultivating high quality crops.
The Minister also said that many programmes such as providing automated Net houses are to be introduced under this. The Minister also mentioned that the Cabinet Paper he presented was approved and President Ranil Wickremesinghe has agreed to allocate Rs. 25 billion for this programme this year.
Today, many people have realised that this country can be built economically only through agriculture. We have organised many systematic programmes for that purpose, the Minister said.
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