Manila, January 18 (newsin.asia): The Sri Lankan government on Friday signed a five-year action pact with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Banos, Philippines, to help Sri Lanka produce rice varieties which are resistant to climate change and which will contribute to the attainment of self-sufficiency in the staple.
President Sirisena, who was on a four-day state visit to the Philippines, toured the International Rice Research Institute which he had visited three times before as a minister in the Lankan government.
The Director General of the IRRI, Dr. Matthew Morell, Deputy Director General and the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs of Sri Lanka signed this action plan.
The IRRI has the biggest rice bank containing rice from different parts of the world. The Lankan President was shown varieties which are peculiar to Sri Lanka. The institute releases variety of seeds. The research Institute produces varieties of seeds that are highly resistant to drought, floods, antibiotics and global warming.
President Sirisena’s interest in agriculture was highly appreciated by the Director General Dr.Morrell. The Director General hailed President Sirisena as a “global leader who has a clear vision of agriculture” which can revolutionize the world. The President in turn stressed the need to make Sri Lanka self-sufficient in rice.
Appreciating Sri Lankan President’s commitment to Agriculture a piece of land in the IRRI was named after him. The President expressed gratitude for this.
(The featured image at the top shows Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines with its Director General Dr.Mathew Morell)
