The country should brace up to face a future crisis situation caused by the current drought and water scarcity for agrarian proposes, Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayake warned. He made this warning addressing the gathering at an awareness programme on coconut cultivation at the Horowpathana Divisional Secretariat recently.
The minister said that when Maha season confronts a water scarcity, Yala season also suffers. People not only run short of water for agriculture but also for other needs such as drinking and bathing. He said that as a nation, these problems must be tackled bravely without running away from them. It was by facing problems and challenges with courage and fortitude that we could rise up as a nation. The country today needed people with indomitable courage, he said.
The minister said the NCP was the granary that fed and nourished the nation in the past. People worked hard in sun and rain to achieve this. Today techno development caused many people to get away from agricultural pursuits and yearn for an easy-going life expecting everything on a platter. He as Agriculture Minister would do everything within his means to encourage farmers and help more and more people join agriculture and farming, he said.
He said the country today has a proper leadership that steers it towards development against all odds.
The Agriculture Ministry and the Coconut Development Authority have launched a joint programme to cultivate coconut on 10,000 acres of land in the Anuradhapura district within the next three years, he said.
A stock of coconut seeds were also distributed among farmers at the rate of 64 seeds per acre. Former minister Tissa Karaliyadde was also present.