National agriculture programme to begin in Hambantota

The special national agricultural programme ‘Isuru Genena Yalak’ is scheduled to commence on the 14th of May, according to the Director General of Agriculture, Doctor Thushara Wickramarachchi. The initiative will be launched from the Lunama Hatagala village in the Hambantota district.

Doctor Thushara Wickramarachchi disclosed this information during a press briefing held at the Department of Agriculture head office in Peradeniya this morning. The programme aims to mitigate potential adverse impacts on local agriculture resulting from the prevailing war situation in the Middle East.

The Director General pointed out a risk of disruptions to the import and export of agricultural goods due to the Middle Eastern conflict. He noted that although input prices increased, the government intervened to provide fertiliser at previous rates. The primary objective of the programme is to enhance local production capacity through technology as a solution to future price hikes.

All agricultural institutions, including the Department of Agriculture, the Mahaweli Authority, the Provincial Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Agrarian Development, are implementing this programme jointly. Key focus areas include introducing new technical equipment to address labour shortages, increasing farmer income by improving yields, and taking technical knowledge directly to the fields.