The Army’s efforts launched in order to promote self-sufficiency in rice across the country and food security among troops in line with the multi-faceted Thuru Mithuru-Nawa Ratak crop-cultivation and afforestation programme of the Army Commander resulted in a good harvest.

These ample paddy stocks are made available through Army farms of the Directorate of Agriculture and Livestock and the distribution of rice among troops at subsidized rates.

Paddy harvests of the ‘Maha-2019’ and ‘Yala-2020’ seasons, collected from newly-cultivated paddy fields at Sri Jayawardenepura, adjoining the Army HQ and from other Army farms elsewhere included organically-produced local varieties like, ‘suwandel’, ‘kaluheeneti’, etc, grown with minimal use of pesticides and chemicals only deemed essential.

Toxic chemical free rice stocks produced as instructed by the Army Commander at Army farms were thus delivered for sale to Army welfare stalls, managed by the Security Force HQ-East, Regimental HQs at the Panagoda Army Cantonment and Army Seva Vanitha Unit-managed welfare shops at Kendalanda, Manning Town, Rukmalgama, Panaluwa, Jawatte and Wattala.

On the eve of the Army Day on Friday (9), Brigadier Indrajith Kandanaarachchi, Director, Directorate of Agriculture and Livestock took steps to deliver a stock of 25,000 kgs of Army-produced rice to the Army Seva Vanitha Unit (ASVU) at the HQ for distribution among ASVU-run Army welfare shops under the supervision of Army Seva Vanitha Unit President Mrs Sujeewa Nelson.

Lt.Col. Nishantha Muttanthirige, Commanding Officer, 6 (V) Sri Lanka Army General Service Corps at Kandakadu on behalf of the Director Agriculture and Livestock handed over the stock to Colonel Sumeda Balasuriya and Colonel Aruna Wijekoon of the ASVU office on Friday (9) for sale to Army troops at subsidized rates at ASVU’s welfare shops.