Farmers should go for exporting finished products: President

• Should adopt more value adding methods

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday called on the farming community to increase the supply of finished agricultural products for export, so that they could earn higher profits.   

The President’s Media Division said the re-export of pepper has been completely stopped. 

 
“Therefore, the President advised the farmers to export pepper in the form of seeds, powder or any other finished product. President Rajapaksa further pointed out that more foreign exchange earnings could be made by adopting value added methods,” it said.  
The President made these remarks at public gatherings at Hasalaka organized in support of the candidates of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) contesting the upcoming Parliamentary election.   The public gatherings held at Ududumbara, Hasalaka Nawarathna Ground and Hasalaka weekly fair grounds were organized by the former State Minister Lohan Ratwatte.  
 
The President cautioned the farmers not to fall prey to middlemen, and to ensure they sell their paddy harvest at government controlled prices.   

President Rajapaksa told the villagers that the government had already taken necessary measures to solve the issue of human-elephant conflict.  

He also looked into the lack of safe drinking water affecting the people living in Minipe.  

The public apprised the President of issues relating to the teacher shortage in schools and the inconvenience faced by children due to schools in the Hasalaka area not having classes up to G.C.E Advance Level Examination.