Assured market, good price, build farmers' confidence :

Passion fruits take Northern farmers by storm

By Lalin FERNANDOPULLE

The revival of agriculture has provided a stable income and better lifestyle to farmers in the North who were once battered by terrorism. An assured market and a good price for the produce have boosted the confidence of farmers who are being exploited by the middlemen who offer a pittance for the yield.

Introducing new crops and expanding cultivation have got off the ground in the Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts. Passion fruit cultivation commenced for the first time in the North and farmers consider a lucrative venture that would bring them more income.

K. Thangarajah, a passion fruit farmer has 100 plants in a quarter acre and hopes to harvest around 1,250 kilograms at the next harvest. The farm gate price of a kilogram of passion fruit is currently around Rs. 30.

“I am happy that there is a market and a better price for my produce. I want to expand the cultivation and increase my income” Thangarajah said.

“Passion fruit cultivation has commenced in vast swaths of land in Kilinochchi. He also grows brinjal, water melon, ground nuts and papaw as a mixed crop and earns a satisfactory income from the yield.

“The high cost of fertiliser, irrigation and lack of loan facilities are obstacles to expand cultivation”, Thangarajah said.

He said he needs Rs. 500 to irrigate the passion crops every week. Farmers use water pumps to irrigate. Irregular power supply is a hindrance to irrigation.

Access to funds with a stable market is an urgent need of farmers who have recommenced their livelihood. Many of the farmer-families have been resettled and are eager to resume their traditional occupation.

“I want to expand my cultivation but I do not have the means to do it. Fertiliser and irrigation are costly”, Supiah Yogeswaran, a passion fruit, papaw and water melon cultivator in Kilinochchi said.

There is a big demand for vegetables and fruits. We are confident that our produce will give us a good income, the farmers said. The private sector plays a vital role to develop the agricultural sector in the North.

Cargills Ceylon Plc which operates a collection centre in Jaffna is constructing a fruit and vegetable processing centre in Kilinochchi.

“Work on the project is nearing completion and we hope to commission the factory within the next three months”, Cargills Ceylon Plc Agriculture Manager Haridas Fernando said.

The company hopes to collect between seven to ten tons of vegetable and fruit pulps a day from farmers in the area. Farmers were presented GI wires by the company to set up nets for passion cultivation.

The passion crop yields during May to December. A creeper yields within eight months.

“I earn an income of around Rs. 400,000 to Rs. 500,000 quarterly”, P. Sukolingam, a papaw, cabbage and hybrid chilli cultivator in Jaffna said.

He has cultivated 110 papaw plants and harvests around 500 kilograms of papaw a week. He said he needs around Rs.20,000 a month to irrigate his cultivation. Despite a high initial investment papaw is a profitable crop as the maintenance cost is less compared to other varieties. A kilogram of papaw is around Rs. 40 and bananas are Rs.35.

A papaw tree yields within six months of cultivation.

I am happy that there is a market for my produce. I get a satisfactory income from the yield and I hope to expand my cultivation”, M. Senadhirajah, the largest papaw cultivator in Allaveddy, Jaffna said.

Grapes and palmyrah cultivation are blossoming in the North with many farmers keen to increase their yield and income. The farm gate price of a kilogram of grapes currently varies from around Rs.150-200. Around 600 trees could be grown in an acre. K. Gnaneswaram from Chunnagam cultivates grapevine, beetroot, bananas, red radish and potatoes on a four acre land.

“There is a regular market for my produce and no exploitation by middlemen.

I get a higher price from the Cargills collection centre”, he said. Grape vines are pruned during two seasons, from December to January and from June to July by spur and cane methods.

The agricultural sector in the North which comprises crop and livestock contributes around 65 percent of the gross domestic product in the district.

The North is home to many crops such as chillies, onions, potato, red radish, cabbage, carrot, brinjal, mango, grapes, jak, banana, citrus and groundnut. The fertile soil which is known as Calcic Red Yellow Latozols induces crop yield.