President Maithripala Sirisena said the week from 5th to 11th October will be declared National Farmers Week, during which time a comprehensive national programme with the joint participation of all the Ministries, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and the Ministry of Irrigation, will be implemented.

The President said that the programme is expected to increase rice production for the local and foreign market, while eliminating the decline in the food production experienced during the recent drought situation prevailed in the country.

The President made these remarks participating in the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new Agricultural Economic Centre in Kaduruwela yesterday (7).

Addressing the gathering the President said that the assistance of all including the private sector and business community needed to make this national food production programme a success.

The Agricultural Economic Centre is being built at a cost of Rs. 50.2 million under the assistance of the Chinese government. The new Centre comprised of a main commercial complex and an agricultural complex with all the facilities, including stalls, play area for children, cafeterias, banking facilities and sanitary facilities.

President Sirisena unveiled the commemorative plaque of commencement of the construction of the new Agricultural Economic Centre and planted a Sapling at the premises.

Meanwhile, the President handed over three buses to the Polonnaruwa, Dimbulagala and Hingurakgoda Zonal Education Offices, for the benefit of the school children in the district.

These buses were donated from the Presidential Secretariat fund on the requests made by the school children in the districts, and the President instructed that these buses should be used exclusively to fulfill the needs of the children.

The President also handed over land deeds to 06 people marking the distribution of title deeds for the people in the Thamankaduwa Divisional Secretariat.

Chief Sangha Nayake of the North, North Central and Eastern Provinces, Ven. Udagama Sri Dhammananda Nayaka Thero, Minister and MPs including Minister P. Harrison, North Central Province Chief Minister Peshala Jayaratne,Deputy Minister Ameer Ali, Provincial Minister Sampath Sri Nilantha, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Yi Xianliang and many others participated on this occasion.