Rs. 5,000 Mn invested on Youth Agri Entrepreneurship Villages

The Youth Agri-Entrepreneurship Village Programme implemented by the Agriculture and Plantation Industries Ministry has been very successful.

Currently, Development of 11 villages in several districts of Galle, Hambantota, Kurunegala, Vavuniya, Moneragala and as well as Anuradhapura districts has started as Youth Agri-Entrepreneurship Villages. In order to attract the youth community for agriculture in particular, many activities have been implemented such as introducing new agricultural technology to them as well as marketing new types of seeds and crops to sell them.

Also, the tank system in each of these Youth Agri-Entrepreneurship Village will be renovated and steps have been taken to establish irrigation facilities to get water to the farms.

In addition to this, cultivation in net houses, sprinkler water technology equipment, drip water technology equipment as well as the introduction of automated net houses that can be operated by remote control has also been given to the youth community of these 11 villages under this programme. So far, the amount spent by the Agriculture and Plantation Industries Ministry to provide agriculture facilities in these villages has exceeded Rs. 5,000 million.

However, the Agriculture and Plantation Industries Ministry has received information that the beneficiaries of some villages have sold the benefits given to them to other parties, and that the equipment provided as well as plants and seeds have been left to perish without proper utilisation.

Agriculture and Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera instructed the officials to conduct an immediate investigation regarding the families who are not using the benefits that have been given for free cultivation.

Accordingly, the Minister instructed the officials of the Agriculture and Plantation Industries Ministry to take measures not to provide any benefits to those families in the future, if any beneficiary or family of these Agri Entrepreneurship Villages does not use the benefits they have received for cultivation or if they are sold to another party.

Also, the Minister also stated that since there are a large number of families reporting that these benefits are successfully used in projects and earning income, steps will be taken to further increase the benefits given to them.

The post Rs. 5,000 Mn invested on Youth Agri Entrepreneurship Villages appeared first on DailyNews.