All agriculture sector authorities agree to work together to cultivate 13 crops for Maha season

All agriculture sector authorities have agreed to work together to prepare for the cultivation of 13 food crops during the upcoming Maha season, the Agriculture Ministry said.

Accordingly, the Central government's Ministry of Agriculture, the Agriculture Department, the Agrarian Development Department, the Provincial Agriculture Secretaries as well as all the Provincial Agriculture Authorities expressed their agreement yesterday on plans to implement the work together.

The Agriculture Department has appointed crop leaders for 13 food crops including paddy.

The 13 types of crops are paddy, maize, chillies, potatoes, red onions, big onions, green beans, cowpea, soybeans, Gingelly, Kurakkan, black gram and groundnuts.

A discussion among all these food crop leaders and Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera was held yesterday (23) at the Gannoruwa Agriculture Service Training Institute.

A large number of officials and researchers, scientists, as well as all the provincial secretaries of agriculture participated in the discussion.

"By now, our country has reached a self-sufficient status in paddy and rice. There is enough rice and paddy stocks in the country till the next Maha season's paddy harvest. Therefore, there is no need to import rice again. According to data and information, there is a stock of rice in the country that exceeds the annual requirement," said the Minister. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)