A meeting was held yesterday (12) at the District Secretariat under the chairmanship of Mr. Kanaka Herath, Minister of State for Technology, to inquire about the problems faced by aquaculture farmers in Kegalle district.

While Kegalle district has a very suitable environment for ornamental fish cultivation, due to the availability of sufficient water throughout the year, fish production can be continued even when there is a drought affecting the country.

Mr. Chandana Jagath Kumara, District Aquatic Extension Officer, pointed out that while there is a large amount of fallow paddy that can be used in Kegalle district, there are a significant number of abandoned aquatic farms and the need for growers to resort to this.

Even now, many programs are being implemented with the aim of popularizing aquaculture in Kegalle district. Pointing out the importance of freshwater fish farming under the food security program, implementing training programs for entrepreneurs, conducting cultivation training programs for officials, and establishing school ornamental fish associations belong to this.

The problems faced by the aquaculture farmers were discussed here and the solutions that could be given to them were also discussed here.

District Governor / District Secretary Mr. Ranjana Jayasinghe and a group of aquaculture farmers joined for this occasion.