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Govt. addressing farmers’ issues

20 Apr 2020

By Skandha Gunasekera The Government would ensure that farmers’ produce was bought and sold despite economic centres remaining closed by ensuring proper distribution channels. Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture Neel Bandara Hapuhinne said that the Government had identified the problem and was taking steps towards rectifying it. “The Presidential Task Force overseeing the Covid-19 response has already deployed the armed forces to buy and distribute vegetables. This will make sure that the farmers are able to sell the crops,” he said. He went on to say that once the curfew is lifted, the original distribution networks would restart gradually. “The old distribution channels handled by the private sector will come back into play with the relaxing of the curfew.” Earlier, All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation President Namal Karunaratne charged that the plight of the farmers was dire. “Many have had to throw away their harvests because they were unable to sell them and some are selling for pittance. The Government must look after our farmers,” Karunaratne said. Pictures by Pradeep Dambarage


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