Non-essential, unhealthy foods won’t be imported: MS

26 September 2017 05:07 pm

President Maithripala Sirisena said that the National Economic Council expects to take immediate steps to stop importing all non-essential and unhealthy food items into the country.

He made these remarks at the opening of the Agricultural Exhibition held at the Training Institute of Department of Agriculture in Bombuwala, Kalutara on Monday.

Addressing the gathering, the President said more than Rs.25 billion is spent annually to import essential food items.

“It is essential to produce food required for our consumption in our country. Self-sufficiency in food was the identity and the culture of our country for past thousands of years and it should be protected. It is important that we give value to our products, if we are to help the agriculture economy as well as the national economy,” he said.