Within the last three years, green cucumber exports from the Vakarai area have brought an income of US$ 34.8 million to the country. To encourage this activity Eastern Province Governor Anuradha Yahampath has presented five power weeders worth Rs. 1 million to the area recently.
This ceremony was presided over by Deputy Project Director for Agricultural Modernization Eastern Province R. Ganachselvam .
Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said that Sri Lanka has requested the World Bank for assistance to help 600 cultivators in this project. She requested the cultivators to produce their own organic manure for the two main seasons and the inter-season and become self-sufficient in the manure and seeds. There are 500 agricultural officers to help the cultivators with the technical details.
She mentioned that the cultivation of cowpea, black dhal and green gram as secondary crops will increase the nitrogen content of the soil and enrich it. Governor Yahampath applied to the cultivators to grow green vegetables, leaf vegetables and fruits to ensure a balanced diet for their children.
While listening to the complaints of the cultivators she directed the relevant officials to solve their land and electricity problems and requested Hayleys who were buying green cucumber at Rs. 33 per kilo to increase the purchasing price to Rs. 48 per kilo.
The Deputy Project Director said that with the introduction of these machines for weeding, the cost that was Rs. 60,000 per acre before can now be reduced to Rs 10,000 per acre.
The EU has been helping the cultivators to get out of old methods of farming and cultivating by introducing modern technology and giving technical support in addition to the construction of internal roads, bridges, irrigation channels, protection fences from elephants and wells.
Secretary to Ministry of Agriculture Eastern Province I.K.G. Muthubanda, Provincial Director Agriculture Department Eastern province H.M. Hussain, Batticaloa District Government Agent K. Karunagaran, Additional Government Agent Trincomalee District A.G. Theinenthiran, Dean of Agriculture Eastern University M. Pathinathan, Batticaloa District Deputy Director Agriculture V. Perinparaja and Vakarai Divisional Secretary G. Arunan were present.
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