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| Sunday, 02 April 2006 |
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Business |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Pick your fruits, veges at rural outlets by Elmo Leonard The humble villagers in the hilly hamlet of Wagala, 35 kilometres off Kandy consider the two trade outlets which sell vegetables to motorists as 'big businesses.' It is because only a few of them have enough money to put up such an outlet to sell their produce. There are four such stalls in this location which sell vegetables along the 67 kilometre stretch from Mahiyangana to Kandy. But, life, along this 19 Elbow bend road is difficult. The terrain is very hilly and there are only footpaths to the hamlets and schools. Cultivating in steep terrain is a specialised art, not developed in this country. There is six months rain and six months drought, here. At night, wild boar destroy the cultivation. But, H. M. Attanayake who has run his trade outlet for 20 years said he will have to keep boxing on, to feed his wife and three children. Sometimes, he has to go to Teldeniya, eight kilometres away to buy vegetables at the wholesale market. Attanayake has no other income, and no qualification to do another job, he said. W M Rambanda, another villager of this location expressed similar sentiments. D M Ratnapala, his wife Nirosha Abeykoon and children Jagath Kumara (10) and Nilantha Kumara (4) live in their house, which is part of their trade outlet. A few years ago, business was better they said. Then, what has gone wrong? Now that there are four vegetable boutiques in one place, for the diversifying of a trade site brings with it more buyers or customers. One reason is that such trade stalls (there are many hundreds along the motorways of rural Sri Lanka) have to cater to motorists. The nearest town on the way down is Mahiyangana in the Mahaweli C division. The environs of Mahiyangana are yet in the stage of rice, fruit and vegetable cultivation. There are no cultural and tourism ventures to lure local and foreign tourists in their numbers. So, with the opening of more trade stalls, in different trade sites along a road which does not expand in numbers of motor traffic, the earnings per trade outlet is diluted. Traders, also try to adapt. In the past these vegetable trade stalls sold only vegetables. But here, they have diversified to selling snacks, tea and bottled beverages. They even sell dried vegetables. In other locations, along rural Sri Lanka such trade boutiques sell dried and boiled corn, lime, lemon, jak seeds, honey, curd and treacle, avocado, pineapple and other fruits and vegetables common to each location. So Mister motorist, knowing the plight of these farmer cum traders, please purchase your requirements of fruits and vegetables as you pass. |
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