Masihudeen Inamullah ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Former Consul General of Sri Lanka in Jeddah

As part of the implementation of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Mahida VisionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Presidential Electoral Manifesto The Ministry of Agriculture has launched the campaign of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-LetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢sƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  rise up through cultivationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This initiative aims self-sufficiency of Sri lanka with her own food products and contributing towards the global food security by exporting the agricultural products.

Sri lankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  could attract investors from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia benefitting from King Abdullah initiative for Saudi Agricultural investments abroad-ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to invest in several strategic crops crops and livestock such as rice, wheat, barley, corn, sugar, green fodders, animal and fish wealth.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ King Abdullah Initiative for Saudi agricultural investment abroad aims at contribution to realizing national and international food security, building integrative partnerships with countries all over the world that have high agricultural potential to develop and manage agricultural investments in several strategic crops at sufficient quantities and stable prices in addition to ensuring their sustainability.

Planning these investments was carried out according to the following agricultural investment principles and criteria:

• Investment in countries with promising agricultural resources, and having encouraging government and administrative regulations and incentives.
• Export of the grown crops to the kingdom at reasonable percentages
• Investment should be Long term: through ownership or long-term contracts
• Liberty of selecting the agricultural crops
• Signature of bilateral agreements with the concerned countries to ensure achievement of the investmentsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ objectives
• Support and encouragement by the state for these investments
• Availability, easiness and low-cost transport of the crops to the kingdom.

It is taken into consideration to operate these investments according to a methodology that is flexible and quick in implementation including mechanisms of agricultural investments abroad; available alternatives in each country; measures to be taken in this regard to preserve interests of both the Kingdom and the host country; and stateƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s motivation of Saudi agricultural companies and investors to invest in basic agricultural crops such as rice, wheat, barley, corn, sugar, green fodders, animal and fish wealth.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Royal directives have been issued to provide credit facilities to Saudi investors in agriculture abroad. Royal orders required formation of a ministerial team led by the Minister of Commerce and Industry and membership of the Minster of Agriculture, and undersecretaries of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Masihudeen Inamullah