The Agriculture Ministry has granted more than Rs. 100 million to various production ventures in Monaragala district under its World Bank-funded agriculture sector modernization project.
These grants have given a big boost to agricultural exports from the district.
The products include Ayurvedic, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, coconut and coir and greenhouse-based products.
Related ventures have generated more than 400 direct jobs and have been instrumental in purchasing products of over 5,000 small and medium scale farmers of the area.
Once bought, the products undergo value-addition for the export market.
When compared to 2020, export income for Monaragala district rose in 2021.
At the industrial park at Buttala, indigenous herbs and more than 1,000 related products are produced by its workers, who are youths of the area numbering in excess of 100.
More than 3,000 cultivators of herbs and the collectors who buy their products have been secured a considerable income as well.
Encouragement is given to new entrepreneurs catering to both the local and foreign markets, especially in Ayurveda.
Since 2017, the agriculture sector modernization project supports increasing agriculture productivity, improving market access, and enhancing value addition of smallholder farmers and agribusinesses in the country.
