WFP, Japanese teams visit Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 July 2004, 17:09 GMT]
The World Food Programme (WFP) has come forward to provide financial assistance to launch fisheries development projects in the Jaffna district. As a prelude, a team of officials comprised Mr.M.Mazlan Jusoh, Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) resident representative for Sri Lanka and Maldives and his Programme Officer Mr.K.P.Sugathapala arrived in Jaffna Thursday to conduct a feasibility study, Jaffna district secretariat sources said.

The team met with the Jaffna Additional Government Agent Mr.A. Sivasamy at the Jaffna district secretariat and discussed in detail regarding the development of fisheries sector in the peninsula, sources said.

The discussion centred on the construction of a jetty for deep-sea fishing, construction of an ice factory and a scheme to provide loan facilities to fishermen and other related matters, sources said.

Meanwhile another team comprising Japanese Embassy officials led by Mr.Hoji Jwashita, First Secretary, Mr.Masayuki Yasuda, Second Secretary and Mr.Ko Goto, Assistant Resident representative of Japanese National Corporation arrived in Jaffna Thursday on a separate mission to conduct a study on the development of fisheries and agricultural sectors.

They also held discussion with the Jaffna Additional Government Agent Mr.A. Sivasamy separately at the district secretariat. They later visited the office of the Department of Agrarian Services, which is located in Nallur, Thirunelvely Agrarian Research Centre and several agrarian services centres in Puttur and Kaithady villages, sources said.

The Japanese team is to visit Vadamarachchi and several coastal areas in Jaffna and islets Friday to meet representatives of fisheries societies, sources said.