Sri Lanka plans to amalgamate the country’s plantation industry and agriculture sector as part of its effort to modernise the country’s agricultural landscape.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe made this announcement yesterday, addressing the 117th anniversary of the Institute of Engineers.
Sri Lanka’s plantation and agricultural sectors were separated in 1970.
A statement from the President’s Media Division said that during his address, Wickremesinghe discussed the historical context of this separation and need to modernise the agricultural sector.
Wickremesinghe expressed his intention to seek external assistance to design a new agricultural ministry by studying how similar ministries function in countries like Thailand and Malaysia. He emphasised the need for a well-defined ministerial structure for progress.
Currently, Sri Lanka has two separate ministries for agriculture and plantations. He also revealed plans to utilise the previously unused land, particularly in the Mahaweli area and plantations, covering approximately 700,000 to a million acres, for agriculture.
Additionally, he pointed out the importance of incorporating various agriculture research institutes into a single institution called the University for Agricultural Technology and engaging the private sector.
-daily mirror
