May 18, Colombo (LNW):The Agriculture and Plantation Industries Ministry has taken significant steps to boost youth involvement in agriculture by allocating Rs. 1,600 million for the establishment of 160 villages across 25 districts, with six Youth Agri-Entrepreneurship Villages in each district this year.
Agriculture and Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera announced that the programme aims to establish 160 Youth Agri-Entrepreneurship Villages, covering all 25 districts. Under the first phase, each village will receive Rs. one million. The initiative seeks to attract youth to agriculture, introduce them to new agricultural technologies, target local markets and exports, and direct them towards high-demand agricultural products.
A discussion regarding the Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurship Village Programme was held at the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agricultural Research and Training Institute on Thursday (16), chaired by Minister Amaraweera. Officials from the Agriculture Ministry, provincial agriculture departments, and affiliated institutions participated.
The Cabinet has approved the programme, and projects in these villages will include vegetable and fruit cultivation, other crops, plantation crops, fish product industries, sheltered house cultivation, and livestock-related products.
Minister Amaraweera emphasized the need to reverse the trend of youth moving away from farming. “To attract the youth community to agriculture, they need to establish their confidence in it. I informed the Cabinet and presented the project report on the Youth Agri-Entrepreneurship Village Programme. The Government has responded positively.”
He called for everyone’s support in implementing the programme. State Ministers D. B. Herat, Mohan Priyadarshana Silva, and Ministry Secretary Janaka Dharmakeerthy also attended the discussion.
