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Sti Lanka vegetable and fruit growers decided to reduce imports
Wednesday, 26 July 2006 - 4:26 AM SL Time
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Local Fruit and Vegetable growers and exporters have assured to reduce the imports of fruits, grains and vegetable before year 2010 .
Mr.Sarath Silva Chairman of the association said after 2010, the country can save over two billion rupees from these imports.
Addressing after their Annual General Meeting held at Colombo on Monday, Mr.Silva noted a number of foreign scientists agreed to provide their technical assistance to improve local vegetable and fruit cultivation in the country using modern technology.
`We will bring this modern technology through various ways, said Mr.Silva , who was elected as the Chairman for the sixth consecutive year.
He said that growers and exporters need governments` moral support to fulfill their dream.
Last year vegetable and fruit exports earned over 3000 million rupees and the exporters said they could reach 4500 million rupees earnings in this year.
`Our target is to earn 10 billion rupees from this sector,' Mr.Silva told.
Speaking to media, Mr.Silva said that exporters have brought new fruit and vegetable varieties from various countries .These varieties are now grown in open lands and the green houses in Sri Lanka.
`We can grow apple, lemon, and a number of imported fruit varieties in the upcountry area. At present lands in the Walawe basin are used to grow grains.
The Chairman said members of the association and their model farms are now engaged with the farmers to popularize to propagate these vegetable and fruit varieties.
'We have educated some underprivileged farmers in the rural areas. Now they are working with our members as out growers. We want to strengthen our out grower network,' he said.
According to exporter`s sources, Green Houses are more popular in the Uva region. Export Development Board has extended its support to provide additional Green Houses to area farmers in the Uva province.
Speaking to 'Asia Tribune,' Chairman of the EDB, Mr.Brian Agunawala said that he wants to increase green houses to re-launch Uva export processing village.
According to Mr.Silva farmers in the Walawe basin can market their farming products without middlemen under the reasonable price structure within a year, after the launching of the President`s concept to boost remote areas with the help of local private sector.
At this juncture, a private export company has begun their operations in Thalawilla, Sooriyawewa .and opened its Vegetable collection center to purchase vegetables and fresh fruits from the Hambantota area. The center collects, process and sorting vegetables and fruits to export to various countries, including Maldives.
He said that their vision is to assist the rural farmers through their purchasing arm. 'As the private sector we decided to go to villages. Today the President of Sri Lanka provides a tremendous support to improve agriculture. At his vision we-the private sector, now in the remote areas to improve agriculture as our main foreign income earner.'
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