More home gardens under ‘Divi Neguma’ for Maha season

Wednesday, 19 October 2011 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The cultivation of 1.5 million home gardens under the Divi Neguma programme in the forthcoming Maha season will start this month.

The new programme will be implemented along with the one million home garden programme launched by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 12th March this year, under the first stage of the Divi Neguma programme

Arrangements have been made to distribute 1.5 million coconut saplings under the Divi Neguma programme this year and of which 300,000 saplings have already been distributed. In addition, arrangements have also been made to distribute 200,000 chicks to families who are willing to engage in poultry and 50,000 chicks have already been distributed.

Already 1,312,000 home gardens have been set up in 13,110 Grama Niladhari Divisions under the Divi Neguma programme. Under the first round of the Divi Neguma programme focus was especially placed on agriculture but priority is now being given to Livestock, Fisheries and Industrial sectors as well.

Meanwhile, as a part of this programme to uplift the living standards of self employed Dimo Trucks have been distributed to many self employed personnel in the Colombo and Gampaha districts. Widening this scheme to other parts of the country, 20 such trucks were distributed for the people in Weligama yesterday by the Deputy Minister of Economic Development Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene.