IFAD to promote 16,000 hectares of maize cultivation

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) agrees that the Small Scale Agri-business Entrepreneurship Participation Programme (SAPP) under the Ministry of Agriculture will provide the necessary support for the cultivation of 16,000 hectares of maize in Sri Lanka in the next Maha Season.

Country Representative and Director of the Asian and Pacific Region of the IFAD Shernia Tabassum met with Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera and discussed the related project on Tuesday (13).

Sixteen thousand hectares have been selected for the ongoing maize cultivation project to increase animal feed production in the country. Accordingly, the maize project will be started in the next Maha Season covering the Anuradhapura, Hambantota, Monaragala, Polonnaruwa and Ampara Districts.

The project will provide high quality hybrid seeds, chemical fertilizers, land preparation facilities and non-repayable financial facilities to selected maize farmers.

Tabassum also stated that according to a proposal made by Minister Amaraweera, the necessary support will be given to this project to cultivate 16,000 hectares of maize.

It was also agreed in this discussion to provide the necessary support for the development of livestock development in the country from next year. The necessary financial allocations are to be provided under the Smallholder Agribusiness and Resilience Project – SARP programme, which is a new foreign-funded project under the Ministry of Agriculture.

Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Menaka P. Abeyratne, Additional Secretary Latheesha P. Liyanage, Director of SAPP Project Dr. Yasanta Mapatuna and others participated.