US top Envoy To UN Agencies In Rome pledges Utmost Help To Revive Lanka’s Agriculture
Shakila Ifham
September 25, 2022
Ambassador Cindy Hensley McCain, the United States Permanent Representative to the UN Agencies in Rome told Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera yesterday that they are doing their utmost to provide the necessary support for Sri Lanka’s agricultural development.
Ambassador McCain, who is on a brief visit to Sri Lanka, along with United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung yesterday met Minister Mahinda Amaraweera.
The meeting took place at the Ministry of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Ministry Rohan Pushpakumara and other officials. Many officials from the United States Embassy in Sri Lanka also participated in the event.
Ambassador McCain inquired about the current conditions in the agriculture sector in Sri Lanka.
Commenting on the matter, Minister Amaraweera said that the economic downturn and the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak has had a great impact on the country’s agricultural sector.
Also, the officials of the ministry explained the facts regarding the supply of chemical fertilizer and other inputs, including the lack of seeds required for certain crops and the rise in the prices of imported hybrid seeds, and the rise in the prices of materials used as animal feed in the world market.
The US Permanent Representative to the UN Agencies in Rome that she will hold a special discussion with all the relevant sectors after her visit to the country regarding the steps to be taken for the development of the agricultural sector in Sri Lanka, and that she will provide all possible support for its development.
Speaking to the media, Minister Amaraweera said that there have been cases in the past where European countries had even stopped coming to Sri Lanka, but at present the government of the United States of America and many European countries are working to provide aid to Sri Lanka for its recovery, the Minister added.
Since June, Ambassador Julie Chung has overseen the announcement of nearly USD 240 million in new U.S. government assistance to Sri Lanka, including U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power’s September 2022 announcements of an additional USD 40 million to provide Sri Lankan farmers with fertilizer and USD20 million to meet immediate humanitarian needs in the country.
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