Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2011-02-02

Acceleration of National Food Production Programme

- Cabinet having observed the recent price escalation of commodities in the open market affecting the cost of living of the general public, decided, on a proposal made by the Minister of Health, Hon. Maithripala Sirisena, to enhance local production of food items with the active participation of regional public officers and institutions and the public, with the political leadership taking the lead role. It was decided to appoint a Special Committee for the purpose consisting of representatives of the following institutions which should meet weekly for action to be taken expeditiously:

* Ministry of Economic Development;
* Ministry of Agriculture;
* Ministry of Agrarian Services and Wildlife;
* Ministry of Health;
* Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs;
* Ministry of Local Government and Provincial Councils;
* Ministry of Mass Media and Information;
* Ministry of Education; and,
* Provincial Ministries of Agriculture.
The Special Committe will emphasis on the following:
* to accelerate the cultivation activities of the one million homestead gardens under the "Api Wawamu - Rata Nagamu Programme";
* to provide planting material to school children to develop their home gardens;
* to convert office premises and premises of official quarters to homestead gardens as far as possible; * to strengthen the national programme by providing seeds and planting materials to the needy, free of charge; and
* to utilize cultivated lands destroyed by the recent floods for cultivation of short-term crops such as green gram, cowpea, maize, vegetable etc.