17th January 2022 10:57:42 Hours
Launching a pilot project to encourage home gardening with organic fertilizer to be in line with the Green Agriculture concept of General Shavendra Silva, Head of the Green Agriculture Operation Center (GAOC), Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army, the Security Force HQ-Jaffna (SFHQ-J) intending to engage students for promotion of Green Agriculture held an inaugural awareness project on Thursday (13) at the Zonal Education office premises in Vadamarachchi under the theme, “ Promoting Green Agriculture, Unity and Reconciliation through Home Gardens”.
551 Brigade troops under command to the 55 Division initiated the pilot project on the guidelines given by Major General Sujeewa Senarath Yapa, Commander, Security Forces – Jaffna together with Brigadier Prasanna Gunarathne, General Officer Commanding 55 Division where students at Vadamarachchi School were educated on the use of organic fertlizer and encouraged for home gardening with use of organic fertilizer as a part of their school curriculum.
Further, the project sought the support from the Department of Agrarian Services and other relevant stakeholders for successful implementation and sustenance of the project through wider participation of both students and the community. A stock of organic fertilize bags produced by the Army were also handed over to the participants at the same occasion.Egg seeds and plants of different varieties of vegetables were also planted in the ‘Model Home Garden’ prepared for this purpose inside the Zonal Education Office at Vadamarachchi premises to symbolizes the opening ceremony of the project.
The inaugural pilot project was held with the coordination of 551 Brigade. Brigadier Prasanna Gunarathne General Officer Commanding 55 Division, Commanders of 551, 552 and 553 Brigades, Mr K Mahesan, District secretary Jaffna, Divisional Secretaries of Point Pedro, Karaveddy and Maradankeni, , Wadamarachchi Zonal Education Director, District Director of Agriculture, School Children from 12 schools in Vadamarachchi and troops under command to the 55 Division participated in the programme.
