Govt. to handover 1,215 hectares of Kandakadu farm to Army and 500 acres to Rehab. Dept. for cultivation

By Ifham Nizam

The government has approved the handover of 1,215 hectares of underutilised land on the Kandakadu farm to the Army and 500 acres to the Department of Rehabilitation for maize cultivation.

The Ministry has also decided to use the Polonnaruwa Kandakadu farm belonging to the National Livestock Development Board for cultivation in the forthcoming Maha season.

Accordingly, the Cabinet had approved the handover of 1,215 hectares of Kandakadu Farm to the Sri Lanka Army and another 500 acres to the Department of Rehabilitation, Minister of Agriculture, Wildlife and Forest Conservation Mahinda Amaraweera said.

A discussion in this regard was held at the Ministry of Agriculture yesterday with the participation of all stakeholders.

Speaking at the event, the Minister said that steps would be taken to cultivate all 11,000 acres of land on the Kandakadu farm based on the government’s decision to cultivate every land to alleviate the economic crisis and food shortages Sri Lanka likely to face in the future.

The lands allotted to the Army and the Department of Rehabilitation are to be cultivated with maize and grass for dairy farming.

The Minister said that measures would be taken to provide 250 acres of land under the Forest Conservation Zones in the Lahugala area to the National Civil Defence Force for paddy cultivation.

Speaking to the media, the Minister said that the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation would take steps to provide fuel required for the Yala harvest and that 247 petrol stations countrywide would be used for the purpose.