OPA conference to highlight agriculture role in food security, poverty-reduction

Friday, 19 September 2014 00:45 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Organisation of Professional Associations (OPA) will hold its annual conference on the theme ‘Role of Agriculture in Food Sovereignty and Poverty Eradication’ on 23 and 24 September at the Grand Ballroom of the Galadari Hotel in Colombo. OPA President V. Ganesh said that the theme was appropriate, coming at a time when parts of the country were stricken by a drought resulting in a lower paddy harvest.

OPA’s President-elect and Annual Conference Committee Chairman Athauda Jayewardene said that it was important that issues like agriculture be discussed as new ideas can be gathered on how the country can move forward in the sector. The conference will be inaugurated on 23 September at 4.30 p.m. with University of Vocational Technology and University of Peradeniya former Vice Chancellor Prof. Kapila Goonasekere attending as the Chief Guest. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations Country Representative Beth Crawford will be the event’s Guest of Honor. The keynote address will be delivered by University of Monash Professor of Economics Gamini Herath. The main sponsor of the annual conference 2014 is Sri Lanka Telecom while other sponsors include National Savings Bank (NSB), A. Baur and Co, Prestige Automobiles, MAS Holdings, Innovative Pesticides Marketing Ltd. and Commercial Bank. SLT Chief Network Officer M. B. P. Fernandez handed over the cheque to the President of the OPA. OPA Journal 2014 debuts The Organization of Professional Associations (OPA) this week released the ‘OPA Journal -2014’. The articles in the journal reflect the views of professionals from different professions such as engineering, law and medicine. The editor of the journal, D .S Senarath, said that an interesting mix of articles has been included in the journal.