The primary concern of our country is the need for more quality products to attract the foreign market to earn much-needed foreign earnings. To achieve this goal, we should have a national-level plan.

This country's administrators should focus on increasing local production and foreign exchange as the only alternative. These are the strategies most developed countries follow and adapt. During the past era, to improve the quality of local products, many production villages were established with the participation of skilled labour, which was abundant among the villagers.

This concept was successfully implemented in over 800 production villages initiated by the Ministry of Social Empowerment under the senior intelligent personnel attached to the Sri Lanka Administration Service. In this manner, many production villages have produced poultry, mushrooms, ornamental fish, palmyra, kithul, paper, coffee, vanilla, etc.

Currently, for unforeseen reasons, this valuable program is not properly maintained due to the lack of monitoring and adequate supervision. If these projects continued with the same enthusiasm, the rural economy would have increased to great heights. At the same time, it would have boosted our local production and foreign currency earnings.

Janitha Senivirathna (New York)