The Government is aiming at commencing a Mandarin orange cultivation zone around lower areas of Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Badulla districts.
"The country has spent 496 million rupees for the import of oranges in 2022 with 2407 metric tonnes of oranges imported to the country. In the year 2019, 7773 metric tonnes of oranges were imported," Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.
He said research carried out to see the possibility of cultivating Mandarin oranges has been successful with the lower lands in the above mountainous regions having suitable climate to grow these specific oranges.
"The Ministry will be allocating funds this year to commence the cultivation of oranges. Mandarin orange plants are planted in nurseries belonging to the Department of Agriculture and they will be cultivated," the Minister said.
A Sri Lankan man was apprehended at Suvarnabhumi airport for attempting to smuggle wildlife out of the country after three ball pythons were found hidden in his underwear, the Bangkok post reported.
The UK government has unveiled a package of reforms to simplify imports from developing countries which allows for more garments manufactured in Sri Lanka to enter the UK tariff-free.
Read these and more on tomorrow’s edition of the Sunday Times
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