Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-12-19

Enhancing the organic food production and opening of export markets for such products

- A great demand is being created in the International Market for organic food products produced devoid of chemical fertilizer, insecticide and pesticide. As such, having selected 15,000 farmers engaged in organic agriculture under the 'National Programme on Food Production', a programme has been planned to be implemented to provide them with the basic knowledge and training to engage in organic farming in a systematic manner to give them the production certificate required to present their products to the International markets and to provide facilities for export of such products.

A proposal has also been made to implement a programme to provide technical training for 2,500 young farmers on mushroom cultivation, inviting a specialist group from China and to provide them with market opportunities and financial facilities. It has also been planned to establish several model farms within the country where technological equipment and implements are used to attract the young community to agriculture and to impart about 6,500 youth with agri entrepreneur knowledge.

Accordingly, the Joint proposal made by H.E. the President, Maithripala Sirisena, and Hon. S.B. Dissanayake, the Minister of Social Empowerment, Welfare and Kandyan Heritage, to implement the said programmes, with the objective of enhancing the domestic food production and making avenues for obtaining a high revenue for the local farmers by exporting the agri products of Sri Lanka to the International markets, was approved by the Cabinet.