• Livestock National Policy under formulation

The Ministry of Agriculture is to submit the National Agriculture Policy, which has now been drafted, for the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers in late April, after which the same will be presented to the Parliament for necessary approval.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, the Ministry's Media Director, Dharma Wanninayake said that the said Policy, which was drafted under the instructions of Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, is to be submitted to the Cabinet for its approval in the last week of April. “This Policy has been prepared considering suggestions made by various parties including farmers, scholars, government officers and Parliamentarians. The Minister's ambition was to prepare a National Policy which will not be abandoned whenever there is a change of government. In addition to this, another National Policy for the livestock sector is being prepared now,” he said.

When queried about the key areas to which attention has been paid to when preparing the said Policy, Wanninayake said that it could be revealed when Cabinet approval is granted for it. If there will be any amendments which will be proposed by the Cabinet and the MPs when it will be presented to the Parliament, he said that the necessary amendments will have to be made accordingly.

Amaraweera had recently instructed the Ministry to appoint a committee consisting of former Director Generals of Agriculture, Agriculture Ministry Secretaries, university teachers and representatives from other organisations related to agriculture to prepare the National Agriculture Policy.