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Sri Lanka Army

Defender of the Nation

Army Establishes Its New Directorate for Agriculture and Livestock

The Army, attaching equal importance to the government’s ongoing national campaign for self-sufficiency in essential vegetables, dairy products and grain varieties, established a separate Directorate for Agriculture and Livestock within the establishment.

The new Directorate, established on Thursday (16) at Panagoda Army Cantonment on the directions of the Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya will remain responsible for full conduct of all Army-run farms in Ella-Kantale, Kuttigala, Diyatalawa, Paanaluwa, Habarakada, Ekala, Kandakadu, Udayarkattukulam, Menik Farm, Nachchikuda, Kohilawaguruwatta, Palali and Wellakulam areas covering land extent of 2196 acres in total.

Those farms grow paddy, corn, vegetables, fruits, coconuts, sugarcane, peanuts, oranges, arecanut, cinnamon, banana, jak, seasonal crops and produce dairy products. In addition, some of those farms conduct animal husbandry, poultry and dairy cattle. Troops of the Sri Lanka Army General Services Corps (SLAGSC) are actively engaged in these projects island-wide and sell the harvest to the public at reasonable price.      

Establishment of this new Directorate facilitates the smooth conduct, further promotion of these projects and coordinates all related operational requirements in cooperation with state and other agencies.

The simple opening ceremony commenced after two members of the Maha Sangha invoked blessings on the occasion. It was preceded by the opening of the name-board of the new Directorate by Major General S.K Weerasinghe, Director General Financial Management.

Major General S.R Manawaduge, Commander, Security Forces Headquarters, South, Brigadier D.C.S Wanniarachchi, Colonel Commandant, SLAGSC, Colonel A.K.A.B Gunaratne, Director of the new Directorate and several other senior officers were present at the location.