Director General of Agriculture Dr. Thushara Wickramarachchi said the programme will focus on expanding beekeeping through modern technology and improved production methods.
He made the remarks at the Bee Celebration March held from Peradeniya to Sahas Uyana yesterday (18), held to mark World Bee Day.
Dr. Wickramarachchi also used the event to highlight the broader environmental and economic importance of bees, noting their central role in global food production through pollination.
He said about one-third of the human diet is directly or indirectly dependent on bees, while nearly 35 percent of global agricultural output relies on bee-assisted pollination.
Warning of the risks posed by declining bee populations, he said bee extinction could trigger global economic losses of around US$500 billion and severely undermine global food security.
