Country R

eport

Sri Lanka

Eng. M.H

.M.A

. Bandara

Chief Engineer

Department of Agricu

lture

Agricu

ltural Back

gro

und

�Agricu

ltural base

d country

�Arable land area-1.887 m

ill ha.

�1.0 m

ill ha. Under perm

anent plantation

crops (tea, Coco

nut, rubber and spices)

�Main cro

ps –Rice, Maize, Vegetable,

pulses, oil crops and condim

ents

Clim

atic Condition

�Four main clim

atic regions

Wet zo

ne (Annual rainfall more than 2500

mm)

Dry zone (Annual rainfall less

than 1750 m

m)

Interm

ediate zone ( A

nnual rainfall less than

2500 m

m and m

ore than 1750 m

m)

Arid zone (Annual rainfall less than 1750 m

m)

Eco

nomic C

ondition

�38%

eco

nomically

active population

engaged in agricu

lture (But alm

ost all

are doing farm

ing)

�19%

contribution to G

DP

�Gro

wth rate –

12%

in 2008 (4.5%

in

early part of this year)

Cost of Cultivation

Power 38%

Labour30%

Material

32%

Cost of production of paddy in large scale

cultivation

Cost of Cultivation

Labour57%

Power 29%

Material 14%

Cost of production of paddy in small scale

cultivation

Cost of Cultivation

Power

5%

Material

13%

Labour

82%

Cost of cultivation of Chilli

Major Pro

blems in C

ultivation

�Laboursc

arcity in peak demand

�Unpredictable C

limate change

�Lack

of org

anized M

arketing m

ech

anism

�Poor acc

ess to new tech

nology

National Agricu

ltural

Pro

grammes

�ApiWawamu-R

ata Nangamu

(Lets

Cultivate and build

the C

ountry-

National Food Pro

duction D

rive

Pro

gramme)

�Granary A

reaPro

gramme

�Org

anic Fertilize

rPro

motion Pro

gramme

ApiWawamu-R

ata Nangamu

(Lets C

ultivate and build

the

Country)

�Objectives

To decrease

the imports of cu

ltivable

commodities gradually

and to ach

ieve self

sufficiency

�Mech

anism

Presidential Task

force has been set up

Teams appointed for identified cro

ps

Each

team set a targ

et to increase

pro

duction

Food Pro

duction D

rive

Pro

gramme

�Activities

-Pro

motion of se

ed &

planting m

aterial production

-Disse

mination of post harvest tech

nology

-Disse

mination of appropriate farm

mech

anization

tech

nology

-Co-o

rdination of inputs and services

-In

troduction of Hybrid R

ice pro

duction

-Optimum use

and conse

rvation of natu

ral reso

urces

-Farm

er empowerm

ent

-Pro

motion of home gard

ening

Granary A

rea Pro

gramme

�Im

plemented in m

ajor irrigation sch

emes by

supporting farm

er in pro

viding various types

of inputs in revolving fund sch

eme.

�Total allo

cation in 2008 w

as R

s.26 m

illion

and the value of th

e increase

d pro

duction is

expected to be about Rs.1600 m

illion in

addition to indirect social benefits.

Org

anic Fertilize

r Pro

motion

Pro

gramme

�More than 95%

subsidy is given for im

ported

chemical fertilize

r for paddy farm

ers.

�To increase

the fertilize

r efficiency

and to

impro

ve the soil co

ndition, farm

ers are

enco

uraged to pro

duce

and use

org

anic

fertilize

r in domestic level and also

entrepreneurs are given tech

nology to

pro

duce

in commercial level

Mech

anization Status

�Land Preparation

Alm

ost fully

mech

anized. However an there is an

urg

ent need an appropriate implement for bund

(levee) clearing and plastering.

�Irrigation

Most of th

e area is co

vered w

ith w

ell planned surface

irrigation system. Small sc

ale irrigation pumps are

use

d in some areas and m

icro

irrigation systems are

use

d in pro

tected agricu

lture applic

ations.

Mech

anization Status

�Plant Establis

hment

6-R

OW & 4-R

OW LOWLAND DRUM

SEEDER FOR PADDY

6 Row Type

4 Row Type

Eco

nomic B

enefit to the C

ountry

In cultivating 10%

Paddy Land w

ith Seeder

Average Extent of

Paddy cultivation

800,000Ha

Manual Seeding

Machine

10%

cultivation extent

In A

cers

198400

198,400

Seed usa

ge

198,400*42kgs

8,332,800kgs

198,400*15 kgs

2,976,000kgs

Cost of se

eds for1

0%

of

Paddy lands

8,332,800*50

Rs4

,416,640,000

2,976,000*50

Rs 148,800,000

Eco

nomic B

enefit

Saving of seed

Paddy

Rs. 4

,267,840,000

5356 tons

Benefit from Increase

d H

arvest

Extent of Paddy

Average cultivation

per/year 800,000

Manual

Machine

Seeding

Seeding

10 %

Total cu

ltivation

extent 80,000 H

ectares

198,400 A

cres

198,400

198,400

Average Estim

ated

Harvest in kgs. Base

d on

Central bank Stats. 115/A

cre

198,400*115

198,400*115*120%

Harvest in kgs

22,816,000

27,379,200

Value of Harvest @

30

Rs.684,480,000

Rs. 821,376,000

Economic Benefit

Rs. 136,896,000

0ther Benefits

�Reduction in use

of Herb

icides

�In

crease

land pro

ductivity

�Opportunity to reduce

water

requirement and Fertilize

r.

�Reduction in harvesting cost/kg

�Elim

ination of Plant lodging

Two W

heel Tractor attach

ed rolling

injector planter for Maize

Highland Seeder with adjustable

row distance

MANUALLY O

PERATED H

IGHLAND R

OW

SEEDER FOR SMALL SIZ

E SEEDS (SESAME &

FIN

GER M

ILLET)

Harvesting &

Thresh

ing

�Combined H

arvesters, im

ported fro

m

India, China and Japan are use

d

�Reaper and H

igh capacity thresh

er

combination is extensively use

d

HIG

H C

APACIT

Y PADDY T

HRESHER

POW

ERED B

Y 12 H

P 2W

TRACTOR

�Pro

cessing

Multi-crop thresh

er with cleaning

device

Gro

undnut de-coatica

tor

Mutual Exch

ange of

Tech

nology

�A tree coco

nut tree clim

bing frame has been

developed base

d on the prese

ntation of In

dia

in the last tech

nical co

mmittee m

eeting.

Mutual Exch

ange of

Tech

nology

�A set of design drawings of pulse

pro

cessing m

ach

ine, developed by Sri

Lanka has been sent to T

haila

nd

Urg

ent needs

�Bund clearing and plastering implement

�Low cost m

otorize

d lowland w

eeder

�Paddy dryer

�Establis

hment of Regional Farm

Mach

inery T

esting C

entre