President vows to ensure fair prices for farmers and consumers for agri produce

THE National New Paddy Harvest Festival (Aluth Sahal Mangalya), a traditional annual ceremony of offering the first portion of the freshly harvested Maha season paddy to the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi, was held yesterday under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the historic Sri Maha Bodhi premises in Anuradhapura.

- 

The 58th edition of the National New Paddy Harvest Festival was organised by the Agriculture Ministry and the Department of Agrarian Service under the theme “in unison, let us cultivate the land, to build a self-sufficient nation”, following the guidance of the Atamasthanadhipathi, Most Venerable Pallegama Hemarathana Nayaka Thera.

This ritual, which dates back to the era of ancient monarchs, saw the participation of farmers from across the country. In accordance with traditions, they prayed for timely rains and fertile fields and invoked blessings for a vibrant, self-sufficient and prosperous economy through agriculture.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake first paid homage and received blessings from the Sanga by Sri Maha Bodhi before joining the symbolic harvesting ceremony, commencing the presidential division (PMD).

The sacred procession, which carried the newly harvested paddy from the historic Sri Maha Bodhi premises, arrived at the new paddy storage at Sri Maha Bodhi, marking the ceremonial commencement of the New Paddy Harvest Festival.

Most Venerable Pallegama Hemarathana Nayaka Thera presented the ritual by filling the golden bowl with new paddy, after which representatives from all provinces added paddy from their respective regions, symbolically filling the golden bowl.