Agriculture has to play a major role in the economy of the country while more attention is being paid on the cultivation of supplementary food crops. Accordingly the Ministry of Agriculture is implementing this programme island wide with the objective of achieving self sufficiency in supplementary food crops by 2016.

In consideration of enormous expenditure to be incurred annually on the import of supplementary food crops to meet the local requirement, cultivation of the same locally is much helpful to boost the economy of the country.

Accordingly programmes are being implemented to expand the cultivation of 11 main supplementary food crops (chilly, big onion, red onion, soya bean, ground nut, green gram, black gram, gingelly, maize, cowpea, kurakkan) .

Objectives of this project are as follows;

• Increasing the production and productivity of supplementary food crops with the contribution of state and private sector institutions.
• Imposing restrictions on supplementary food crops.
• Increase the expect of supplementary food crops.
• Ensure the availability of seeds and inputs to meet the requirement.
• To meet the demand of supplementary food crop consumers for ensuring the food security at national level.
• Introduce value added productions.
• Increase the income of farmers.

In order to achieve objectives the Department of Agriculture is implementing seed production programmes aimed at providing high quality seed to farmers. Accordingly arrangements have been made to increase quality of seeds through conducting training programmes for farmers.

In addition farmers are being encouraged towards mechanization of agriculture and for using modern technological methods in all stages of agricultural practices such as preparation of lands, sowing seeds, application of fertilizer and water, weed controlling harvesting and minimization of post harvest losses. Accordingly it has been possible to increase quality of harvest as well as the quality of harvest, reduce labour requirement and increase profit margin. Those measures have been helpful for further of the retaining farmer community in the field of agriculture.

Under the programmes implemented in 2014 it was possible to cultivate chili in 4178 ha island wide. Arrangements have also been made to cultivate crops such as green gram, ground nuts, gingelly and crops at district level and to expand seed storage facilities. In additions moves were taken to increase value added food production from supplementary food crops. Meanwhile the Department of Agriculture has made arrangements to establish 06 local food sale outlets (Hela Bojun Huls) at district level. It has been planned to implement the following programme during 2015 with the treasury allocations of Rs. 300 Mn.

• Implementation of programmes for ensuring the sufficient availability of supplementary food crop seed productions.
• Development of see storage facilities.
• Seed mortification programmes for introducing new varieties.
• Introducing the availability of value added productions from supplementary food crops.
• Establishment of supplementary food crop cultivation programmes in accidence with climatic changes.
• Cultivations promotions programmes farmer awareness programmes.
• Encouraging farmers to make use of cultivations mechanization and implementing training programmes.

These programme are to be implemented through district secretaries at district level under the supervision of the District Director of Agriculture and Provincial Officers of Agriculture.