The Agriculture Ministry has introduced a new program to locally cultivate fruits for the export market with an aim to uplift the economy of the farming community.

The Ministry has allocated Rs. 700 million for 2000 families for this project which is being carried out with the assistance of the World Bank.

According to the Daily FT, Rs. 500,000 will be provided per family in Nawalapitiya, Gampola, Udunuwara and Hewaheta electorates in the Kandy District.

Farmers will be provided with highly productive plants that meet foreign market demand, drip technology and the technical knowledge and understanding required for a high quality product, while state-of-the-art Processing Centres will also be set up for value addition of the harvest, as art of the project.

Representatives of the Dole Company have agreed to create a foreign market for the produce of these farmers, which will include fruits such as Banana, guava, pineapples, and avocado.

The project which has commenced in five districts and is expected to be launched in 12 more districts in Sri Lanka, will see products being exported to the Middle East and the Philippines.

The Agriculture Ministry expects to export the first fruit container in the first quarter of 2021.