President requests everyone to make food security program a success

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that hunger has no party or colour and that everyone should come together to make the food security program a success in order to face the future food shortage as a strong country.

The President further emphasised that everyone should forget their differences and dedicate themselves to rebuilding the country’s economy.

Joining the Badulla District program of the multi-sector joint mechanism for empowering rural economic revival centres to ensure food security and nutrition, on Thursday, President Wickremesinghe thanked everyone for their comments on the functioning of the food security programme in the Badulla District.

The President recalled that the food security programme was started at a time when there was a shortage of fertiliser and fuel in the country and at a time when no country wanted to give Sri Lanka loans.

“In the year 2023, there is a possibility of a food shortage. We started the food security program to deal with that. I suggest that a review of the implementation of this programme be done again in each divisional secretariat. Here you can get new data. 

“Accordingly, we are proceeding with the food security programme in a formal manner. This programme will not end after 2023. We will continue to do so. Local councils have representatives from each political party. But we all have to implement this programme together,” he explained.

“Somehow, we have been able to provide the fertiliser needed by the farmers. With the success of the Maha season, we will have a surplus of rice in the future. We have identified problems such as insufficient storage facilities. We are also working to solve those problems. At the same time, we have taking measures to control the price of paddy.”