Reed product makers spotlight problems

By Ananda KANNANGARA

Have you heard about a plant called `Reed'? It belongs to the bamboo family. Bamboos are yellow, but reed plants are green and thin.

The Sunday Observer last week visited a remote village of Yahalawatta in Ingiriya, in the Sabaragamuwa Province. The livelihood of many families in the area is manufacturing goods out of reed.

During our short stay in the Yahalawatta village, we met about ten families whose livelihood was manufacturing household goods, especially kitchen utensils from reed. The main goods that are manufactured from reed are winnowing fans (Kulla), milk strainers (Kiri gotu), flower baskets, baskets that are carried by tea pluckers and baskets to put fish. According to a long standing reed goods manufacturer in the area, 75-year-old H.A. Jayaratna said he has been manufacturing household goods from reed for the past 45 years.

"I started manufacturing various goods from reed during the colonial era. Even foreign nationals had visited our area and purchased flower baskets and milk strainers".

Almost all in the village are not in a sound financial background, even to develop this traditional industry. They need a helping hand from the authorities to uplift their living standards.

Synthetic goods

According to them, their services were one time highly recommended by people in the country. The arrival of synthetic goods to the Lankan market highly affected the reed industry. Most families in the area have given up this traditional industry of manufacturing goods from reed due to the little income they get.

Reed product making industry is also very famous in the areas of Gampaha, Attanagalla and Matugama.

According to an old villager, 86-year-old David Appuhamy, the village was very famous for products from reed even before the colonial era.

History reveals that king Raigam Bandara who ruled the Raigam kingdom over 600 years ago had visited the Yahalawatta village with his men to meet the farmer community. The king had also met reed goods manufacturers.

Bygone era

A father of three children, 43-year-old Lal Jayasinghe recalled the bygone era and said his father and grandfather were involved in the reed goods manufacturing industry at Yahalawatta for over eight decades. His grandfather's demise prompted his father to undertake the business.

"My father is still doing the business, and I help him. We earn about Rs. 500 to Rs. 700 a day and it is not sufficient to cover up our daily expenses".

Villagers who are involved in the industry want the authorities to recognise their traditional industry as it will help them get bank loans from small banks such as `Sanasa'.

Many villagers are of the view that the reed goods manufacturing industry brought them sufficient income in the good old days. The industry is now facing a severe crisis.

"Unlike earlier, we can't think of a good business without the assistance given by the Government.

"It is pathetic that even the traditional industries and Small Enterprise Ministry has turned a blind eye on our industry. Unlike in the past, no State officials visit our shops to look into our grievances".

Yahalawatta has a history of nearly 1,000 years. Almost all villagers are even today paddy farmers, tea pluckers, cinnamon growers, chena cultivators, rubber tappers, pepper growers or reed goods manufacturers.

A villager, Rathnasiri who manufacture reed products said his products are sent to shops in Colombo as there is a great demand for reed products from Colombo hoteliers.

According to Rathnasiri, vans come from Colombo to his village every week and collect reed products from villagers.

People in the village are of the view that Government Ministers too should visit the village at least once a year and talk to reed goods manufacturers. He also recalled a visit to the village by former President Ranasinghe Premadasa and how he met villagers and inquired about their grievances.

Reed goods manufacturers are getting a very good business for their products, especially for flower baskets during festive seasons in the country. There is a good business for flower basket manufacturers during the Kataragama, Anuradhapura and Jaffna festive seasons.

Raw reed trees are commonly seen in the government owned forests at Ingiriya, Bodinagala and Yahalawatta areas. There are no restrictions from the Police or any other authority to cut reed palms. As there are no restrictions to cut and bring reed palms from forests, some people destroy the reed plantation.

People are of the view that police should take stern action against villagers who destroy reed plantations.

A reed goods manufacturer Somasiri urged the authorities to restrict synthetic goods to the country to save not only reed goods manufacturers, but also cane goods manufacturers.

He said the area Divisional Secretariat should help reed goods manufacturers and register them by considering their future needs.

An elderly female Somawathi Manamperi said the industry has become a dying industry and urged authorities to begin training classes for youngsters to train how to produce reed goods. She wants the authorities to conduct exhibitions every three months for the benefit of reed goods manufacturers to sell their products. She said workshops should be held in the village, so that even elderly people can learn the art of producing reed goods.