Parallel to the Fruit Promotion Week, FCRDC introduced a project to increase fruit consumption via schools. This project was inaugurated by opening a fruit shop at the Swarnamali  Girls College in Kandy said Dr.Subha Heenkenda, Director FCRDC and Development Consultant Horticulturist Dr.Subha Heenkenda. A 200gm clean fruit pack is priced at Rs.25/- for School children at this Fruit Shop.

 

As the project was very successful and due to demand from other schools, attention has been focused in opening Fruit Shops in several schools - Kandy Girls High school, Mahamaya Girls' College Kandy, Matara Sujatha Vidyalays and Rahula College, Telijjawila Central College, Colombo Royal College, Colombo Visakha Vidyalaya, Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Mahinda Rajapaksa College Homagama and Horana Thakshila Central College.  Further 05 schools in Horana and 15 schools in Galle District have held discussions to open Fruit Shops in their respective schools.

 

Accordingly, FCRDC is planning to start Fruit Shops in these schools too, effective from  the schools 3rd term. 

 

The aim of the initiative is to promote consumption of fruits and healthy lifestyles among next generation.The recommended daily intake of fruits is 200 grams per day. A recently published The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO ) report recommends a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables per day for the prevention of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity, as well as for the prevention and alleviation of several micro-nutrient deficiencies, especially in less developed countries.

 

Sri Lanka is among the top countries in Asia which grows the best varieties of fruits and boasts more than 200 varieties that are suitable for consumption, including nutritious fruits like mango, jack fruit, papau, pineapple, banana, avocado, orange and gauva.(SDF/KH)