The State Minister points out that the necessary background for the project has already been started.
He was participating in an official tour of the Moragahakanda Organic Agriculture Zone Oct ;(17). The State Minister said steps have been taken to develop the area as a place of tourist attraction. He also joined in a farmer awareness campaign on the importance of the use of organic fertilizer in protecting health, social and economic factors. The campaign was held on the sidelines of the Mahaweli Organic Home Garden Battle.
During the tour, the State Minister instructed his officials to take swift action to solve the problems of the farmer community such as wild elephant threat, irrigation management issues, finding a prospective market for organic fertilizer production. The agricultural implement of Rs.3 million was also distributed among 45 farmer families in the area during this visit. In addition, 180 barrels to be used in organic fertilizer production, 15,000 parachute plates, 24 insect repellent nets and 500 coconut seedlings were districted among the farmers.
State Minister Gamlath inspected two organic fertilizer manufacturing projects at Guruwela and Wallewela in the Morahagakanda Organic Fertilizer Agriculture Mahaweli Zone. These successful organic fertilizer projects will be used to provide necessary knowledge about manufacturing organic fertilizer to the farmer community.
Mragahakanda Mahaweli Zone has been declared as Mahaweli F Zone by an extraordinary gazette in 2020, and it is especially used for organic agriculture.
2600 families who lost their ancestral property after their lands were acquired for the Moragahakanda and Kalu Ganga projects have been relocated to this area. The entire zone including the tourism zone is 5600 hectares in extent. 1441 hectares have been reserved for cultivation. Drinking water is provided by the water resources originating from the Knuckles mountain range.
In addition, the State Minister inspected the soil testing program which is implemented by the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority together with the Natural Resources Management Center of the Agricultural Ministry. This program is introducing suitable crops to this organic zone.
Immediate measures have been taken on the directive of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the guidance of Irrigation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa to develop this area as the first organic zone in Sri Lanka, Mahaweli Zone Canals and Settlement Public Infrastructure Development State Minister Siripala Gamlath said.
Secretary of the Mahaweli Zone Canals and Settlement Public Infrastructure Development State Ministry Mrs Chandra Herath, Agriculture Director General of the same ministry, Miss Chithra Nayana, Mahaweli Agriculture Director Neville Rajapakse, Mahaweli Technical Unit Director T Ranasinghe, Mahaweli Special Projects Director Mrs Kaushalya Wijeweera, Residential Enterprise Manager Hemantha Jayasinghe and several others participated.
