A’pura farmers embrace Organic Farming | Daily News

A’pura farmers embrace Organic Farming

Farmers in the Anuradhapura District, while protesting organic farming, seem to be gradually starting paddy cultivation for the Maha season.

Residential Project Managers of the major irrigation schemes in the Anuradhapura District have reported to the District Agriculture Committee that the farmers near the major tanks have ploughed around 40,000 acres of 67,025 acres that they cultivated in every Maha season.

They have already cultivated around 10,000 acres with paddy using rain waters. The Project Managers said that the number of acres with paddy cultivation will go up significantly in the coming days. Ample stocks of water are available from the 13 major tanks including Padaviya, Rajangane, Yan oya, and Wahalkada among others, except Huruluwewa and Nachchaduwa, they said.

They have re-started the maize cultivation that they abandoned due to the shortage of chemical fertilizer. They have received 25 kg of urea for an acre. They will be provieded with around 1,850 metric tonnes of urea to grove maize in 72,500 acres during the Maha season. Meanwhile, on the instructions of Anuradhapura Government Agent Janaka Jayasundara, National Fertilizer Secretariat District Director Bandula Kumara is educating the farmers about the correct ways of applying organic fertilizer in the agriculture.

Bandula Kumara said that four varieties of organic manure such as solid organic fertilizer, liquid organic fertilizer, nano liquid fertilizer and potassium chloride will be provided to the farmers.

He said that initially, the solid organic fertilizer is recommended for the second ploughing -500 kg per hectare. Bandula Kumara said that the nano liquid fertilizer should be used when paddy plants become yellowish. He also said further that the farmers have to substitute Potassium Chloridewith traditional Bandi Pohora under the new system.

 


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