President appoints 14-member Presidential Task Force for Green Agriculture

 

Colombo: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a Presidential Task Force for Green Agriculture. The relevant gazette notification was issued by the Presidential Secretariat with the signature of Secretary to the President P. B. Jayasundera.

Vijith Welikala, Chairman, Wild Holidays (Pvt.) Ltd has been appointed as the chairman of the 14-member task force.

The Task Force’s tasks include

1. Formulating a systematic program for sustainable maintenance of green agriculture

2. Identifying the organic fertilizer required for various crops and improving the quality of such fertilizer production

3. Producing pesticides and weedicides locally

4. Identifying methodologies and monitoring mechanism for importing the limited scale possible shortages with high standards on the approval of the Sri Lanka Standards Institute in meeting the requirements through local production

5. Enhancing the communication in transmitting to the public the health-related socio-economic benefits to be accrued from organic food production and consumption

6. Enlisting the active support of the Public Service in this process and broadening the organic agriculture extension services at field level

 The members of the Task Force are

1. Vijith Welikala, Chairman, Wild Holidays (Pvt.) Ltd

2. Lalith Senevirathna

3. S.K.B. Kasun Tharaka Amal, Director, Biogenic Green Technology Research Institute

4. Malinda Senevirathna, Director, Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute

5. R.B. Rasika Thusitha Kumara, Climate Smart Agriculture Co-ordinator, Vavuniya and Mannar Districts Eco Friendly Farming Training Consultant

6. Dr. B.K.J. Kavantissa, Chief Executive Officer, “Siyapatha” International Education and Training Institute (Pvt.) Ltd.

7. Samantha Fernando, Kangara Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd.

8. Samuditha Kumarasinghe,,Lanka Bio fertilizers (Pvt.) Ltd.

9. Ajith Randunu, Green Force Agriculture (Pvt.) Ltd.

10. N.M. Khalid, Lanka Nature Power (Pvt.) Ltd.

11. Shammi Kirinde, Bio Foods (Pvt.) Ltd.

12. Ms. Nirmala Karewgoda, Hysoung ONB (Pvt.) Ltd.

13. Chaminda Hettikankanamge, R.K.G. Bio Green Farm

14. Nishan de Silva, Lorance’s Liquid Fertilizer 

Vernon Perera, Additional Secretary to the President, has been appointed as Secretary of the Task Force.

The Task Force is directed to liaise with Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation Task Force and the Presidential Task Force for the creation of a Green Sri Lanka with sustainable Solutions for climate Changes.

The Task Force is directed to submit reports to the President at least once a month.