Farmer in Environment Minister surfaces in earnest

By Ifham Nizam

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed Ministers to identify all potential uncultivated lands and initiate a programme to cultivate food crops, said Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera yesterday.

Amaraweera, speaking to journalists, said various experts had warned that a food shortage could occur by the middle of the year.

“Today, the youth are reluctant to take to farming. I presented a Cabinet Memorandum to launch a programme to cultivate food crops with the intervention of the government to address a possible food crisis in our country,” he added.

The President took a special interest in it. Accordingly, the Minister of Finance summoned all relevant parties and discussed the matter. “We, too, have been given some responsibility to contribute to this”, Minister Amaraweera said.

He said there were large extents of uncultivated lands belonging to the public sector.

“We were instructed to start a suitable programme to start home gardening. The government will provide necessary financial assistance. We will take steps to grow fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants.

The Ministry of Agriculture will start cultivating food crops on agricultural lands as well as on lands that can be used for that purpose, the minister said.

“What needs to be done should be done now.”

At present there are about 100,000 acres of barren paddy lands. Organic fertiliser could be used for such home cultivation, he said.