Ishara MUDUGAMUWA
The Agriculture Ministry has taken measures to increase the production of 11 crop varieties under the process of additional crop production of the ministry, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane said.
Big onions, red onions, chillies, maize, kurakkan, green gram, chickpeas, black gram, soya beans, peanuts and sesame seeds will be cultivated under this programme. The ministry will provide seeds to the farmers, he said.
"With this new programme, the ministry hopes to enhance the annual big onion production to 240,570 metric tons by 2015 and 250,300 metric tons in 2020. About 158,086 metric tons of big onions were imported last year. The ministry plans to reduce big onion imports by 100 metric tons in 2015," the minister said.
Abeywardena said the ministry also plans to enhance red onion production to 56,500 metric tons this year and 60,750 metric tons in 2020. About 11,908 metric tons of red onions were imported in 2011. The ministry plans to reduce it to 500 metric tons. The Agriculture Ministry plans to enhance chilli production to 52,500 metric tons in 2015 and 60,850 metric tons in 2020.
"Under this programme, the ministry also plans to enhance maize production to 270,320 metric tons, kurakkan to 27,150 metric tons, green gram to 45,170 metric tons, chickpeas to 18,590 metric tons, black gram to 20,000 metric tons, soya beans to 14,600 metric tons, peanut to 21,920 metric tons and sesame seeds to 17, 650 metric tons by 2015," the minister said.
He said the ministry will provide 10 million rupees to the District Secretaries in big onion cultivation districts such as Badulla, Moneragala, Hambantota, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala and Polonnaruwa to cultivate 200 hectares.
http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/03/31/news31.asp
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