One Million Home Gardens to Contribute to Food Security in Sri Lanka

07th February 2011, www.dailynews.lk, By Dharma Sri Abeyratne

The Government will establish one million home gardens throughout the country aiming to achieve self-sufficiency in vegetable requirements and as a measure to reduce vegetable prices, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.

The President said so inspecting the Deyata Kirula exhibition premises in Buttala Saturday.

“The Government’s aim is to safeguard the local farmer and not the foreign wheat farmer. It is only then that the country could march forward with our own heritage and dignity.

The Government has taken and will take many steps to safeguard the local farmer and increase food production. Under this initiative, one million home gardens will be established throughout the country.

In addition, the Government also offers fertilizer subsidy to paddy cultivators spending millions of funds. In addition tea, coconut and rubber cultivators receive the fertilizer subsidy,” President Rajapaksa said. He also highlighted that more than 33,000 acres of paddy are being cultivated in the North and East after a significant period. That is a result of the peaceful atmosphere which was achieved after much dedication, he said.

“There was no paddy cultivation in the paddy fields in the North and the East but landmines and booby traps. After terrorism was eradicated, paddy is being cultivated in these fields,” the President added.

Several Government institutions including the Agricultural Department has taken much effort to establish an agricultural environment at the Deyata Kirula Exhibition premises. After visiting an exhibition stall, Tilan Susantha Amarasinghe, a Grade Seven student of Passara Maha Vidyalaya told the Daily News that he would definitely cultivate a vegetable bed in his home garden.

Most visitors echoed the same sentiments.