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N’Eliya bumper potato harvest to be distributed as drought relief
View(s):Drought-affected peoplewould be provided potatoes as part of the food relief package offered by the government, officials of the Nuwara Eliya District Secretariat said yesterday.
They added measures had been taken to purchase the bumper potato harvest in the Badulla district and distribute them at controlled prices via the CWE.
On a mission : Lorries loaded with potato head to drought-stricken areas. Pix by Shelton Hettiarachchi
The move comes in the wake of issues raised by potato farmers in the Uva province who had complained they had failed to find proper markets for their products.
Earlier a degree of confusion had arisen regarding standards when purchasing farmers stocks of the yield at the CWE purchasing centres
However with the intervention of District Secretary Nuwara Eliya, D.P.G. Kumarasiri who took up the issue with the Economic Development Ministry, a decision was taken to distribute stocks collected at the CWE purchasing centres to drought affected areas.
On Friday N’Eliya District Secretariat officials transported 185,000 kg of potatoes to be distributed free to several Pradeshiya Centres in Polonnaruwa area. Steps are also being taken to purchase the potatoes at controlled price for distribution in the Anuradhapura district as well the District Secretary said.
Potato imports suspended due
to glut from Yala 2014
Government has suspended the import of potatoes with effect from midnight yesterday in view of the increase in local production, said the Ministry of Finance.
The Ministry of Finance said that this Yala season, both Badulla and Nuwara Eliya districts have produced over 100,000 metric tons of potatoes, a 100 per cent increase from the 2013 Yala season.
The Ministry said the 2014 Budget had assured a certified price of Rs 80 per kg of potatoes. The purchase deal with Lanka Sathosa and agri loans provided to farmers in order to promote local potato production had encouraged local farmers to produce more potatoes.