President’s next revolution is to uplift agriculture through modern technology: Pavithra

Colombo, April 29 (Daily Mirror) - President Ranil Wickremesinghe's next revolution is to prepare the farmers for the upliftment of agriculture based on modern technology, Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation and Irrigation Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said.

She pointed out that outdated agriculture practices should be stopped, and that the time has come to introduce smart agriculture systems to the farmer community in the country.

She also said that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to grant USD 10 million to uplift the livelihoods of the farmers through smart agriculture activities. 

The bank reached this agreement following her request, she added.

While addressing an event organized in Ratnapura to distribute smart agriculture equipment for farmers in the area, she said that it is important not to subsidize the upliftment of the people but to provide them the strength to stand up independently.

The value of one set of smart technology equipment packages is Rs. 500,000 each and 100 sets of these items were symbolically awarded to 100 farming families in the Chandrika Wewa Mahaweli Division in Embilipitiya.

Accordingly, measures have been taken to award sets of smart technology equipment to 465 Mahaweli farming families in the Ratnapura district.