SL receives 144 MT of maize seeds from JICA Emergency Assistance for Maha cultivation

Sri Lanka received a total of 144 MT of maize seeds for the Maha season cultivation, which was procured in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and JICA Emergency Assistance.

The JICA extended emergency assistance to provide maize seeds, which are in severe shortage, to secure the required maize production within the country, mainly for the poultry industry and thereby reduce the cost of production and retail price of poultry products such as egg, chicken and dairy products for the consumers under the current economic and food crisis. It is also expected to contribute to improving the nutrition situation.
The seeds were handed over to the farmers in select villages in Mahawilachchiya.

The provision of 144 MT of maize seeds to the farmers for the current cultivation season will enhance the farmers’ income as well as national maize production to cater to the demand for animal feeds and ‘Triposha’ in a reasonable proportion, Agriculture Director General Jayantha Illankoon said during the official handing over ceremony.

JICA Sri Lanka Senior Representative Yuri Ide noted that the successful delivery of maize seeds would be of huge help for the poultry farmers and consumers as well as the maize farmers, who are suffering for the soaring prices and shortage in the market.

As a major implementation partner of this emergency assistance, the Agriculture Department has taken several technical measures to ensure the productivity and expected level of crop harvest at the end of the season. They have initiated efforts to conduct demonstrations and technical training programmes on high-density maize cultivation techniques to mitigate the negative consequences of less availability of inorganic fertilisers and to increase productivity, in order to facilitate the farmers to go for high yields.