LTTE area farmers to receive marketing help

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 April 2006, 00:06 GMT]
Mr.V.Visuvalingam, Mannar Government Agent said he will soon be providing marketing facilities to farmers in the Liberation Tigers held areas to sell their agricultural produce in Government-controlled territory in Mannar district. Currently farmers in LTTE held divisions of Madhu and Manthai West in Mannar district struggle to market their produce for decent competitive prices and face financial difficulties, sources said.

The Government Agent further said that he has made necessary arrangement for the farmers in the LTTE held divisions to transport all their agricultural produce except paddy through Madhu church road to Vavuniya and Mannar for marketing at a competitive prices.

"Currently vegetables and other subsidiary food crops are brought to Vavuniya and Mannar from Matale and Anuradhapura and sold at higher prices. This situation has risen only because local farmers in the district are unable to market their produce. Hence I have taken steps to transport agricultural produce to the army controlled areas through the Madhu Church Road," Mr.Visuvalingam said.

Meanwhile, steps are being taken to open farmers' market in agricultural productivity centres in the Mannar district to help farming community to market their produce, Mannar Government Agent said.