Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-02-28

Re-cultivation of the abandoned Paddy Lands in the Low Country Wet Zone for Food Security

- When taken into consideration, the adverse effects on agriculture due to climatic changes that take place frequently in the present day, it has been felt that the focus on long term food security is an essential factor for the creation of a sustainable agro-economy. In this respect, it is important to develop the abandoned paddy land and re-cultivate them. The Department of Agrarian Development has identified that there exist about an extent of 26,122 Ha. of abandoned paddy lands in the Districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kegalle, Galle and Matara coming under the low country wet zone and as such, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Department of Agriculture, the Provincial Departments of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Development and the Department of Irrigation have proposed to implement a project jointly for cultivating paddy, vegetables and roots and tuber crops within the premisses of those institutions during this Yala Season. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Duminda Dissanayake, the Minister of Agriculture, to develop 17,000 Ha. of abandoned paddy lands constructing the streams bunds, putting the drainage systems in order etc. and to provide the farmers with financial provision, to induce them to develop the extent of 17,000 Ha. of uncultivated land, was approved by the Cabinet.