Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said that a comprehensive program will be prepared to make the journalists aware of good agricultural practices and food safety issues so that they can effectively and efficiently communicate the message of good agricultural practices and food safety to all stakeholders in food production in the country and the general public.
The Minister expressed these views while speaking to the media following a meeting between Mr. Vimlendra Sharan, the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for Sri Lanka and Maldives, at the Ministry of Health recently. During this meeting between the Minister of Health and Mass Media and the country representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, several critical issues related to food safety were discussed and, the importance of educating the public about food safety was also emphasized.
“Meeting between the Minister of Health and Mass Media and the Country representative of the FAO of the United Nations”
Vimlendra Sharan, the Sri Lanka and Maldives representative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, proposed here to hold the first consultation workshop related to the BESPA food project of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in March of this year. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is supporting the country in modernizing its agricultural sector through advanced technologies and good agricultural practices.
FAO also provides training to smallholders on soil management to enhance productivity and longevity, the use of quality fertilizers, and appropriate agronomic methods to promote sustainable practices. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Working Group in Sri Lanka is made up of local and international experts with extensive experience in agriculture, fisheries, water management, forestry, emergency response, and other related fields.
To make the most of these resource persons and implement the plans developed by these groups in a way that meets the country’s needs, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, the Minister of Health and Mass Media, instructed officials to urgently prepare a suitable plan to ensure optimal communication contributions. Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni, Deputy Minister of Health and Mass Media, Asumptha Jayaratnam, Project Manager of the BESPA Food Project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Judy Thavaratheepan, Communication and Publicity Specialist, N.A.K.L. Wijenayake, Additional Secretary (Development, Planning, and Information) at the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, and W.P. Sewwandi, Director (Development), were all present at the event
