Visit of Hon. Minister of Agriculture to Jaffna & Kilinochchi Districts

In order to increase the Agriculture Production in Jaffna and Kilinochchi Districts, Mahindananda Aluthgamagae, Hon. Minister of Agriculture has visited to Jaffna District on 15.09.2020 and he has observed the Grapes Demonstration Field of the farmer Mr.Nirojan at Achchelu Village in Puttur AI range, implemented together by Deputy Provincial Director of Agriculture Office, Jaffna and Regional Research and Development Center, Kilinochchi.

In the discussion held at Jaffna District Secretariat, Hon. K.N.Dougles Devananda, Minister of Fisheries, Hon. Mahindanada Aluthgamage, Minister of Agriculture, Hon. D.B.Herath, State Minister of Livestock, Farm Promotion and Dairy and Egg related Industries, Hon. Shasheendra Rajapaksa, State Minister of Paddy and Grain, Organic Food,Vegetables, Fruits, Chilies, Onion and Potato Cultivation Promotion, Seed Production and Advanced Technology Agriculture, Hon. Mohan de Silva, State Minister of Fertilizer Production and Supply, Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides Regulation, Hon.Governor Northern Province, Mrs.P.S.M.Charles, Hon. Angajan Ramanathan, Chairman, District Coordinating Committee, Jaffna District and Member of Parliament, Hon. Suren Ragavan, Member of Parliament, District Secretaries of Jaffna & Kilinochchi Districts, Agriculture Directors, Officers from the Department of Agriculture, Commissioner General Agrarian Services, Officers from the Department of Agrarian Services, Government Officials, and Farmers were participated.

According to the several requests made by the farmers from Jaffna District regarding the insurance scheme to be given for the crops such as Red Onion, Banana, Black Gram, and Ground nut, Hon. Minister of Agriculture told that he will take necessary actions to include these crops in the insurance scheme at the discussion held at Jaffna District Secretariat. Rehabilitation of Agriculture Channels and tanks, Subsidies for Potato Cultivation, Agriculture land issues, Sand mining at Agriculture lands, regarding tube wells, fixation of standard price for paddy, regarding Agriculture loans, regarding the damages from stray animals, Monkeys and Pigs, regarding fertilizers, Regarding Marketing without the interference of middleman, inadequate Agriculture Instructors and other several problems were discussed in detailed and immediate solutions were proposed for particular problems. Tom-E-JC Mango field established under the Agriculture Sector Modernization Project has been visited at Eluthumadduval Village.

Hon. Agriculture Minister Mahindanada Aluthgamagae who has visited Regional Research and Development Center, Kilinochchi has observed the research plots and Grapes demonstration plots. Then he has visited the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jaffna situated at Ariviyalnagar, Kilinochchi and participated in turmeric harvesting event and participated in the discussion regarding the activities to be carried out together in an effective manner by the Central Department of Agriculture, Provincial Department of Agriculture and University of Jaffna.

Finally a discussion was held with the farmers from Kilinochchi District at Agrarian Service Center, Kilinochchi.