The Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, M.P.N.M. Wickramasinghe, has announced plans to reduce Sri Lanka's maize imports to 150,000 metric tons in 2025, a significant decrease from the current annual imports of 300,000 metric tons. The move is part of efforts to minimize the country's foreign exchange outflow on maize.
Wickramasinghe emphasized that increasing domestic maize production is key to achieving this goal. "We have expanded the land allocated for maize cultivation this year, and we believe this will help to reduce the outflow of foreign exchange," he said.
In addition to increasing production, the ministry is working on a program to produce maize seeds locally, further reducing dependency on imported seeds. This initiative aims to strengthen the country’s agricultural sector and promote self-sufficiency in maize production.
