The Cabinet Decides To Allocate Another 25 Million USDs To Extend The (CSIAP) Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project By One Year.
Shakila Ifham
March 17, 2024
The work of the CSIAP (Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries is scheduled to end this year. This project aimed at upliftment of agriculture and irrigation in districts particularly affected by climatic effects, and the reconstruction of small tanks, canals and anicuts in districts like Anuradhapura, Hambantota, Moneragala, Ampara, Kurunegala, Vavuniya etc.
Also, the necessary technology and knowledge to improve the livelihood of the farmers in those areas are also provided with agricultural equipment and cultivation activities.
Although this project was supposed to be completed this year, the Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera, submitted a paper to the Cabinet asking the government to take steps to provide the necessary funds to extend the work of the project for one year.
According to this, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that the Cabinet will approve an amount of 25 million USDs to extend the work of CSIAP project for one year.
The Minister stated this yesterday (16) while participating in a program to provide agricultural equipment to young farmers in Julpallama and Kawantissapura Young Agricultural Entrepreneurship Villages in Hambantota district.
Yesterday, the minister provided agricultural equipment worth about 200 million rupees to the young farmers of the youth agriculture entrepreneurship villages established in the Hambantota district in the vicinity of Julpallama and Kawantissapura villages.
Drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation systems, insect resistant nets, electric water pumps, 1000 liter water tanks, rain covers, electric pump, mango tree pruning equipment, planting beds, field seeders, fruit plants, solar water pumps, square meters 1000 greenhouse equipment were distributed to the farmers yesterday by the minister of Agriculture and plantation Industries.
Commenting on this, the minister said that the government decided to provide a huge sum of 8000 million rupees for the agricultural services provided by the CSIAP project for the development of the livelihood of the farmers in the above-mentioned difficult areas.
The minister announced that cultivation should be carried out using this equipment and it should be the responsibility of the farmers to carry out cultivation activities using these equipment and provide food for the country as well as increase the economy of their families.