Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said the proposed National agricultural policy which is now finalised will be presented to the Cabinet by the end of this month. Thereafter, it will be tabled and debated in Parliament.
When the National Agricultural policy is prepared for implementation, the views and suggestions of all 225 parliamentarians will be sought by the Ministry of Agriculture. When this policy is approved by Parliament, it will not be changed when the Minister of Agriculture and Governments change from time to time. The views of all farmers’ organisations in the country will also be sought and considered prior to its implementation at national level, the Minister told the Sunday Observer. Minister Amaraweera said a separate policy for the livestock sector will also be drawn up in the near future and steps are now being taken in this connection. At present, there are no national level agriculture and livestock development policies in the country and this will be a fillip in the fields of agriculture and livestock, he said. The Minister said the Agricultural Ministry will take steps to provide fertiliser to the farmers without any shortage during the forthcoming Yala season.
There will be no need to import rice in the future as the farmers could cultivate sufficient amounts of paddy. The Government is committed to look after the farmers and ensure their welfare since they are engaged in the country’s food production process with much dedication, the Minister added.