Air rifles to be issued to farmers to control macaque monkeys

By Dayaratne Embogama   

The Department of Agriculture has decided to issue air rifles to farmers to protect cultivated land from macaque monkeys, and giant squirrels.   

 Anuradhapura District Director of Agriculture Haritha Nimalananda told the District Coordinating Committee that 180 air rifles are to be issued to farmers in the district on the basis of 50 percent of the cost of the rifle to be borne by the farmers.

The Coordinating Committee met under the Chairmanship of District Secretary Ranjith Wimalasuriya at the District Secretariat Auditorium on Tuesday (18)   

 The Director of Agriculture said that a loan scheme has been implemented under the programme to create 50,000 young farmers. He pointed out that farmers between the ages of  28 and 45 will be granted loan facilities up to Rs.05 million at an interest rate of four percent. He said several loan applications had already been approved.   

Several senior officials including Addl. District Secretary Sandya Abeysekara were present on the occasion.