New agri policy to focus on entrepreneurial agriculture
A new agriculture policy focused on entrepreneurial agriculture is to be introduced once the new draft is approved by Cabinet by the end of this month, official sources said.
Sri Lanka is planning on introducing this new agriculture policy for human and animal consumption to ensure the food security of the country in future.
The new policy is likely to be submitted to Cabinet for approval by the end of this month, officials stated.
In the meantime, as part of this policy, authorities want farmers to cultivate between the two main harvesting seasons of Yala and Maha by cultivating crops that will increase the food available in locally.
This system of cultivation was a practice carried out in the past and which is to be revived in a bid to increase food production and reduce the prices of certain foods like moong beans.
These legumes are said to be advantageous for cultivation between the two main harvesting seasons by farmers, Peradeniya University Crop Science Senior Prof. Buddhi Marambe said. He added that cultivating these will increase the soil fertility as well.
He explained cultivating these foods involve less inputs like chemical fertilisers and the authorities need to only provide seeds at a nominal price or free to motivate farmers to engage in this production.
These types of legumes were said to have been imported in the past at low prices and subsequently it was mooted to be produced locally. The moong beans were cultivated but later it was not grown due to low yields.
Now it is being re-introduced to encourage increased food crops available in the market or even for the farmers’ own consumption, it was noted.
Moreover, the new policy will drive towards entrepreneurial agriculture; call for research for the development of new varieties among other actions proposed to be adopted to increase production of food crops and animal feed.
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