‘Diyawara Day’ of the National Food Production week, will be held today (12).

Many programmes have been organized Island-wide with the contribution of all the relevant Ministries, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Irrigation & Water Resources Management, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment as well as the contribution of the private sector and the inauguration ceremony in this regard will be held near the Muruthawela Tank, focusing on Southern province .  

A main ceremony will be held near the Urusita veva in Embilipitiya too.

In parallel to this event, programmes to reconstruct  of small tanks and anicuts, reconstruction and cleaning of irrigation systems,distribution of equipment to  farmers’ organizations to maintain the irrigation canals as well as seminars on water resource management have been organized  Island-wide.

Cultivation of abandoned paddy fields will be implemented at the districts level with the starting of the Maha Season 2017/2018.

Distribution of food seeds and saplings, including fruit saplings among the farming families through the farmers’ organizations across the country,  to increase their income will be launched under the guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture. A number of programmes will be implemented across the country to encourage the farmers to produce their own organic fertilizers.

Reconstruction of  irrigation canals in ten agricultural areas spending Rs.2 million will be commenced tomorrow.

Also, programmes will be launched to develop the water supply projects with the aim of providing safe drinking water to the farming community and the Irrigation Management Resources Training Centre in Giritale will be open tomorrow.

A media briefing was held at the Strategic Enterprise Management Agency (SEMA) in Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo, with the participation of the relevant senior officials of the Ministries, to apprise the media regarding the Diyawara Day.