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National policy to ensure food security – President

Published

2 years ago

December 14, 2022

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that new laws are expected to be introduced in the future to ensure food security.

The President also said that plans are being made to present the related bills to parliament soon.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said this while joining the discussion held today (13) at Temple Trees to brief the representatives of the Joint Mechanism Committee on Food Security and Nutrition.

The President also emphasized the need to obtain accurate data in establishing food security and the nutritional status of the people and stressed that there have been disparities in the data available at the national level and at the regional level which should be rectified immediately.

In order to make this program a success, the President stressed that the contribution of everyone from the national level to the divisional secretary and Grama Seva Niladhari officer level is necessary and pointed out that not only the public sector but the private sector too has a great role to play.

President Wickremesinghe added that a long-term program is needed to promote agriculture in the country, and the government has already focused on the agricultural modernization program.

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, expressing his views said that the program initiated by the President is very important for national food security. Pointing out that foreign exchange can also be saved by ensuring food security in the country, the Prime Minister said that he expects to produce all the food items needed by the people within the country and will work to provide government support for it.

The Prime Minister also said that due to certain decisions taken in the past, there was some setback in the country’s agriculture sector, but added that the background needed to face the upcoming monsoon season has currently been built in the country.

Agriculture Minister – Mahinda Amaraweera said that today’s farmers are strong enough to produce all the rice required for Sri Lanka’s consumption within the country, adding that they will provide all necessary facilities for it.

Minister of State for Media Shanta Bandara and Member of Parliament Chamal Rajapaksa also expressed their views. Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, Kanchana Wijesekera, Ali Sabri, Nasir Ahmed, Keheliya Rambukwella, Wijayadasa Rajapakshe, Nalin Fernando, Douglas Devananda, State Ministers Sisira Jayakody, Sanath Nishantha, Mohan Silva, Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon, Jagath Pushpakumara, Anuradha Jayaratne, Kader Masthan, Janaka Wakkambura, Ashoka Priyantha, Chamara Sampath Dassanayake, Members of Parliament Duminda Dissanayake, S. M. Chandrasena, Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera, Nimal Lanza, Vajira Abeywardena, Dayasiri Jayasekara, Jagath Kumara, Ranjith Bandara, M. A. Sumanthiran, Chief of Presidential Staff and Senior Advisor to the President on National Security Sagala Ratnayake, Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, Secretary to the Prime Minister Anura Dissanayake, Senior Advisor to the President on Food Security Dr Suren Batagoda and a group of public officials attended the event.

President Media Division (PMD)
13-12-2022

News

CID arrests 4 Sabaragamuwa Uni. students over ragging-linked death

Published

4 hours ago

May 4, 2025

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Four third-year students of Sabaragamuwa University have been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), police said.

The arrests have been made for further investigations into the recent death of a student, allegedly due to a ragging incident.

News

LG election candidate shot in Kalutara

Published

5 hours ago

May 4, 2025

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A candidate contesting the upcoming local government election was injured in a shooting incident in Kalutara, police said.

The victim has been admitted to Nagoda Hospital. His condition is reported to be non-life-threatening.

Police investigations are underway to arrest the suspects.

News

Xi to visit Russia for Victory Day and talks with Putin

Published

7 hours ago

May 4, 2025

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Chinese President Xi Jinping will make an official visit to Russia from May 7-10 to participate in celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, the Kremlin said on Sunday.

In a statement on Telegram, the Kremlin said that Xi will discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin the development of the two countries’ strategic partnership, as well as signing a number of documents.

“During the talks, the main issues of further development of relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction, as well as current issues on the international and regional agenda will be discussed,” the Kremlin said.

The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in World War Two but pushed Nazi forces back to Berlin, where Hitler committed suicide and the red Soviet Victory Banner was raised over the Reichstag in 1945.

Several other national leaders are expected at the celebrations, including the presidents of Brazil and Serbia, and the prime minister of Slovakia.

Putin has proposed a three day ceasefire with Ukraine around the May 9 celebration, one of the most important in the Russian calendar.

Responding to Moscow’s offer of the three-day ceasefire, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was ready as long as the ceasefire would be 30 days in length, something Putin had already ruled out in the near term, saying he wants a long-term settlement not a brief pause.

Zelenskiy said Ukraine, given the continued war with Russia, could not guarantee the safety of any foreign dignitaries who came to Moscow for the traditional May 9 victory parade.

Zelenskiy has in recent weeks upped criticism of China, which he has said is providing weapons and gunpowder to Russia.

Russian state news agency RIA cited Putin, in a documentary film marking 25 years since his first inauguration as Russian president aired on Sunday, as saying that Russia’s relations with China were: “truly strategic in nature, deep-seated”.

(Reuters)