President Gotabaya Rajapaksa emphasizes the requirement of establishing a market that guarantees higher prices for farmers and a concessionary price for consumers, stated the President's Media Division.
President points out that this objective can be realized by preparing a background that enables farmers island-wide to sell their produce without the involvementof the middlemen.
President made these comments during a discussion with the Committee on Cost of Livingat the Presidential Secretariat yesterday.
President and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa focused on strengthening of measures to ensure the continuous distribution of essential consumer goods across the country without suffering a shortage.
President Rajapaksa, taking both current living conditions and difficulties associated with COVID 19 pandemic into account removed the import duties imposed on several essential goods such as Dhal, Canned fish, Onions and Sugar on Tuesday(October13).
President also instructed the officials to plant Coconuts in the lands classified as abandoned, immediately. The government has commenced the plantation of Coconut plants in 50,000 acres.
Head of the Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival, Mr. Basil Rajapaksa noted that a proper strategy is being implemented to produce vegetables, fruits and eggs to meet the consumer demand within the area itself.
Ministry of Health has surveyed the daily consumer demand of a household. “We have devised plans to grow vegetables, fruits in home gardens of low income families and fulfill the demand for eggs through domestic poultry farms as a measure to uplift their lives.” Basil Rajapaksa added.
The officials at the discussion showed that the Paddy harvest of the Yala and Maha seasons this year have been favourable compared to the last year. President Rajapaksa highlighted the need for introducing new methods to purchase paddy harvest in the future.
Itwas also stated during the discussion that a special programme has been plannedto transport fruits, vegetables and fertilizer via trains with the assistanceof the Sri Lanka Railways.
PrimeMinister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Ministers Bandula Gunawardana, MahindanandaAluthgamage, Douglas Devananda, State MinistersLasantha Alagiyawanna, Arundika Fernando,Head of the Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival Basil Rajapaksa, Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundera, Secretaries of the Cabinet and State Ministries and the members of the Committee of the Cost of Living were present at the discussion.
