The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Union (EU) yesterday launched a program to strengthen food security in Sri Lanka by boosting the productivity and sustainability of the paddy cultivation sector.
The four million Euro (approximately Rs. 1.5 billion) initiative funded by the EU was launched at an event at the Bataatha Agro Technology Park in Hambantota under the auspices of Minister of Agriculture, Mahinda Amaraweera, EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka Denis Chaibi and FAO Representative in Sri Lanka Vimlendra Sharan.
Implemented by FAO with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Mahaweli Authority, the program targets 71,000 smallholder paddy farmers and 1,200 paddy seed farmers across seven districts including Polonnaruwa, Badulla, Ampara, Matale, Puttalam, Kurunegala and the Hambantota districts which were severely impacted by the recent economic crisis.