• Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size

Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2012-03-21
Import of chili and vegetable seeds by the government to increase chili production, control vegetable seed prices and to increase the quality of production
- at present the country imports 80% of her requirement of 42,000 Mt. of dried chilies mainly from India at a cost of around Rs.5000 million. It has been proposed to cultivate 7000 ha. of chilies in the coming Yala Season under the "Api Wawamu - Rata Nagamu" and "Divi Neguma" programmes. The proposal made by Hon. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Minister of Agriculture, to import 500 kg. of hybrid chili seeds and around 10% of selected varieties of vegetable seeds at a cost of Rs.50 million each for the purpose, was approved by the Cabinet.