PM launches National Program for the Establishment of Export Agriculture Zones

The National Program for the Establishment of Export Agriculture Zones, in accordance with the “Vision of Prosperity” policy, commenced on Saturday at the historic Kasagala Rajamaha Viharaya in Hambanthota under the patronage of the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Prime Minister planted a TJC mango sapling, initiating the Hambantota District Agricultural Export Village/Zone under the program of establishing agro export villages or zones throughout the country.

The Prime Minister also released fish into the Upper Aluth Wewa and distributed seedlings of export crops including mango, cashew and pepper to the people of the area.

In parallel to this program, the Sri Lanka Cashew Corporation has planned to cultivate 100,000 cashew seedlings in the Hambantota District in addition to other crops.

The objective of this national program is to increase the contribution of the export agricultural sector to the current GDP to 4% by 2025 – currently it stands at 2% - and to promote agri-entrepreneurship.

Accordingly, the cultivation of export oriented minor crops such as cashew, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, betel and TJC mango that are suitable for the climate of the specific areas, and beekeeping, will be developed in the nine provinces.

Preliminary work on identifying cultivable lands and cultivators in the Anuradhapura and Kurunegala districts and establishing cultivation zones is in progress, and by the end of 2021 100 agricultural export zones/villages will be established in 10 districts.

The program expects to mobilise the rural masses for production targeting national and international markets.

Ministers Chamal Rajapaksa, Namal Rajapaksa, Mahinda Amaraweera, Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, State Ministers Janaka Wakkumbura, D.V. Chanaka, MPs Upul Galappaththi, Ajith Rajapaksa, Southern Province Governor Willie Gamage, and officials of the State Ministry of Development of Sugarcane, Maize, Cashew, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Betel Production and Promotion of Allied Products and Export and others 

were present.