Mar 30, Colombo: Sri Lankan government said Ministry of Nation Building has taken measures to promote local food production from the rice bowl area in recently liberated Mannar region.

The “Yali Pibidemu” project of the Ministry of Nation Building has made arrangements to obtain higher paddy harvest from Nanatam, Adampan and Musali in the rice bowl area.

Mannar, liberated in June 2008 produced a record rice harvest in 1991. Agriculture is the main livelihood for over 15,000 families in the area and 62% of cultivation is paddy.

According to the department sources, the farmers in the area are now free to engage in their cultivation activities and a sum of nearly 400 million rupees have been set aside to repair many reservoirs including the Giant tank to provide water to the farmers. Nearly 25 thousand acres are to be cultivated.