Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-02-07

Empowering the growers to have an enhanced living standard through Floriculture

- The field of Floriculture provides an immense contribution towards the enhancement of the living standards of the rural folk by creating self employment among women and youth. Sri Lanka has earned an export income of more than US$18 Million in the year 2015 through floriculture and there is a possibility of increasing it further. The Department of National Botanical Gardens has been engaged for a length of time, in the activities of the floriculture development at district level and it has by now established 173 'Suvahas Mal Societies' in 17 Districts. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Gamini Jayawickrema Perera, the Minister of Sustainable Development and Wildlife, to empower small and medium scale flower growers targeting specially the women engaged in flower growing with assistance provided to have the infrastructure facilities needed for the floriculture field, technical information, high yielding planting material, cultivation training and marketing, aimed at the implementation of a project for developing the floriculture field also inclusive of the Northern and Eastern Provinces as well in the programme, at a cost of Rs.228.5 Million, within the five period of 2017-2021, was approved by the Cabinet.