Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-04-04

Programme to utilize uncultivated paddy fields for the promotion of freshwater aquaculture

- Aquaculture contributes approximately 13% out of the total freshwater fish production of Sri Lanka. There is a potential for freshwater fish production to be significantly increased through aquaculture. It has been identified that a considerable number of uncultivated paddy lands, which have been abandoned in the wet zone and the dry zone due to the inability to cultivate any type of crop and it has been estimated that they are suitable for aquaculture to enhance the freshwater fish production by about 10,000 MTs and also generate an additional income of about Rs.2500 million. Therefore, the proposal made by Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, the Minister of Power and Renewable Energy, to obtain the uncultivated paddy fields necessary for the purpose after a proper feasibility study subject to the approval of the relevant institutions, without causing an obstruction to the water flow for the paddy fields and without permanent erections, to be used for freshwater fish production, was approved by the Cabinet.