China will dispatch 2,700 metric tons of rice, worth US$ 3 million, next month to meet the shortfall in Sri Lanka, due to the drought, Chinese Ambassador Yi Xianliang said.
The dry spell that has prevailed over the country, particularly in the North Central Province throughout the year, adversely affected the crop yield in both seasons.
The drought, followed by floods devastated agricultural production this year, leaving over 900,000 people to face food insecurity, according to a United Nations survey. According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation and the World Food Program, production of rice is estimated to plummet by around 2.7 million tons this year.
“We have been good friends and China will always support Sri Lanka as it has done in times of need,” the ambassador said at the Huawei ‘Seeds for the Future’ program which is a collaboration between Huawei and Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure, to empower youth through ICT education.
According to a spokesman for the Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure, Rs. 1.9 billion has been allocated for the ministry through the 2018 Budget and Rs. 5 billion to continue the ICT programs initiated this year.
Ten students from various universities will tour China from November 4-18 through the Seeds for the Future program which was launched in 2008. Ten students will receive an opportunity to experience Chinese traditional culture and engage in Chinese calligraphy and painting at the Beijing language and culture university. They will also be provided exposure to 5G, cloud computing and hands-on practice at the Huawei headquarters most advanced labs in Shenzhen.
Huawei, a leading ICT solutions provider has products deployed in over 170 countries serving over one-third of the global population. The company commenced operations in Sri Lanka in 2005.