By Shane Seneviratne
A decision has been taken to promote big onion cultivation in place of paddy in Stage 03 and 04 in the Minipe Irrigation Scheme after the Yala paddy harvest to resolve the constant shortage of big onions and the resultant price hike.
 The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Kandy District Secretary Chandana Thennakoon   
District Secretary Chandana Thennakoon has instructed the Central Province Department of Agriculture to identify land fit for big onion cultivation and to provide seeds to the farmers.   
The farmers who attended the meeting had shown a positive response to this proposal.   
Representatives of agrarian societies said the farmers in Wilgamuwa and Hettipola divisions would take to big onion cultivation in paddy land after the Yala paddy harvest.