The Hadabima Authority has initiated a number of special agricultural projects and the Agriculture and Agrarian Services Ministry has released the required funds to the authority to go ahead with the projects. The Hadabima Authority has formulated a plan for rain water harvesting project, sales promotional campaigns of agricultural products, indigenous food crops development and land management project, the Agriculture and Agrarian Services Ministry said. Advisor to Agriculture and Agrarian Services Ministry A.H.L.Somathilaka told The Island Financial Review that around 1000 acres had been allocated in Minipe, Redeemarliyadha, Kandaketiya, Ududumbara and Mahyangana Divisional Secretariats for 1500 farming families. The main objective of the project would be to reduce 28 per cent of foreign exchange on imports of indigenous food crops. He said that an extensive research carried out by the Ministry revealed that a large number of arable lands had not been used for any agricultural activity and the Ministry had decided to make use of the uncultivated lands. The plan would include cultivation of cashew, ground nuts,kurakkan, Udu and green grams on uncultivated lands. The Hadabima Authority would distribute the required seeds and seedlings to farmers for Yala Kanna. Somathilaka added that Rs 6.0 had been released for the project. In addition to that another 500 acres had been earmarked for 750 families in the Kurunegala district Mawathagama, Ibbagamuwa and Ganawattha Divisional Secretariats for land productivity extension programme and Rs. 2 million had been released for the project. This project would help farmers to successfully manage their available and cultivable lands for sustainable land management. The authority would distribute required seeds for farmers for Yala Kanna. He said that a problem had arisen in the Central Province on the livelihood of inhabitants as the drinking water resources were found to be under threat of extinction due to constant use of available water for agriculture. A number of fountains in the province had reached saturation point and the Hadabima Authority had decided to launch a large scale rain water harvesting programme. Around 68 rain water management projects would be set up in the Nuwara-Eliya district Haguranketha and Badulla Divisional Secretariats. Referring to the utilization of carbonic fertilizer, Somathilaka said that a carbonic fertilizer promotion campaign would be commenced to popularize carbonic fertilizer in urban areas. The Authority would also enlighten farmers and cultivators on the safety of carbonic fertilizer. He pointed out that the Government had realized that farmers and different crops cultivators had been getting the crust of the bread because farmers and cultivators seemed to be not getting a fair price for their crops. Due to inventions of the middlemen the farmers and cultivators had fallen into despondency although they had worked hard to reap better harvests. Somathilaka noted that the Hadabima Authority would set up agricultural produces and crops selling centres in Pallekela, Galagedara and Marvanella areas to protect farmers and cultivators. These centres would purchase agricultural produces and crops at reasonable prices from farmers and the Authority had decided to purchase agricultural produces to the tune of Rs.10 milion.