(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –The State Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, Dilip Wedaarachchi, said that necessary arrangements will be made to expedite the construction of cold storage facilities and ice manufacturing plants around the fishery harbors.
State Minister Wedaarachchi recently held discussions with a Malaysian and Chinese delegation on providing cold storage and ice factory facilities.
Accordingly, the first cold storage facility and ice factory will be built centering the Kalametiya fishery harbor in Hambantota district with Malaysian and Chinese funds.
State Minister Wedaarachchi said that steps have been taken to develop Kalametiya Fishery Harbor as the first Smart Fishery Harbor in Sri Lanka.
It is planned to generate solar power for the operation of the cold storage and ice factory manufacturing facilities
At the meeting with the Malaysian and Chinese delegation, the Minister said that they will be able to provide a better service to the fisher community with the cooperation of the Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation and stressed that it is important to expedite providing the relevant facilities to the fishery community rather than spending time discussing the projects.
The Minister stressed that by preparing the relevant plans promptly and providing the facilities to securely store their catch, a real value can be delivered to the fishermen’s harvest.
