Sri Lanka, Nov. 21 -- The Department of Agriculture has decided to issue air rifles to farmers to protect cultivated land from macaque monkeys, and giant squirrels.

Anuradhapura District Director of Agriculture Haritha Nimalananda told the District Coordinating Committee that 180 air rifles are to be issued to farmers in the district on the basis of 50 percent of the cost of the rifle to be borne by the farmers.

The Coordinating Committee met under the Chairmanship of District Secretary Ranjith Wimalasuriya at the District Secretariat Auditorium on Tuesday (18)

The Director of Agriculture said that a loan scheme has been implemented under the programme to create 50,000 young farmers. He pointed out that farmers between the ages of 28 a...