Heavy metal in rain cause loss of bio diversity in Horton Plains of Sri Lanka

(June 29, 2010) A study conducted by a group of researchers of Sabaragamuwa University has revealed that the cause for the sudden death of large number of plant species in Horton Plains in Sri Lanka is air pollution. The study has been conducted by a team led by Mr. P.I. Yapa, a lecturer of Agriculture Faculty of Sabaragamuwa University. Heavy metals such as nickel and led that came down with rain has added to the soil of the Horton Plains causing destruction in vegetation, the lecturer said. The death of many plant varieties of the identical bio diversity region of Horton Plains has become a serious concern for the environmentalists. ...

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Posted in acid rain , air pollution , Horton Plains , Sabaragamuwa University

Destruction of Aththidiya paddy fields in Colombo

(June 22, 2010) Aththidiya, the largest wetland environment system in Colombo district has been destroyed by land filling and other human activities. In the past 32 years, 966 acres of paddy fields in Aththidiya and Bellanwila areas around this wetland have been destroyed as a result of this says, the Department of Agriculture. These paddy fields have not been used for paddy cultivation after 1978, the agricultural officials point out. However, this paddy cultivation was carried out in these fields for generations successfully earlier. Land filling, industrial waste, water stagnation and salinization has prompted the farmers to give up these...

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Posted in Aththidiya , attidiya , pady cultivation , Rice , wetlands

Disease attacks coconut cultivation of Sri Lanka

(June 18, 2010) A disease is spreading in the coconut cultivations of Sri Lanka’s Southern Province, says the Ministry of Plantation. This disease is believed spread to Sri Lanka from areas like Kerala in India. Leaves of the diseased coconut trees are dried prematurely due to this disease. The Minister of Plantation Mahinda Samarasinghe says that measures will be initiated to prevent the spread of the disease to Sri Lanka’s Coconut Triangle to avoid loss to economy. Already, 6200 trees that have been affected by the disease have been removed, the Minister said adding that a census on the spread of disease is carried out now. The Minister said...

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Posted in Coconut , Coconut Development Board , India , Kerala , kidney diseases

Sri Lanka politicians vow to re-open closed seed potato farms

(June 17, 2010) The Department of Agriculture of Sri Lanka produced seed potatoes on five government farms earlier but they are not functioning now. The Minister of Agriculture of the Central Provincial Council of Sri Lanka Nimal Piyatissa described lengthily about the decline of potato production in the central hills of Sri Lanka. He pointed out low quality of imported seed paddy as one reason for the drop of production. Addressing the meeting, the Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Yapa Abewardhana said that seed farms would be established in each administrative division of Sri Lanka in the future. Burning straw by farmers and land filling was...

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Posted in Ministry of Agriculture , Nimal Piyatissa , seed potato

STRAIGHT TALK ACROSS PALK STRAIT - “NO FTAS”!

A Joint India-Lanka People's Statement for Cultivating Peace and not Free Trade Agreements Talks towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) are to be intensified by the governments of India and Sri Lanka. This is one of the main messages from yesterday's joint declaration in Delhi, India between the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the visiting Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse. A joint commission has been revived for the purpose to deepen economic and agricultural ties. The CEPA is likely to be made final and signed by the end of this year. This CEPA has no social backing and has been met with people's protests on both sides. In the past the two countries have signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that came into effect in 2000 and reportedly, the next level...

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Posted in Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) , Free Trade Agreement , India

Chillie gets hotter in Sri Lanka

(June 14, 2010) The price of chillie (miris in Sinhala) has escalated severely affecting the consumers of Sri Lanka. The retail price of a kilo of green chillie has gone up above Rs. 400 now. Chillie is an essential flavoring material for Sri Lankans that have used to eat hot curries. Farmers say that the chilie cultivation is threatened due to the high price of inputs like seeds, fertilizer and pesticides. Sri Lanka needs 45,000 metric tons of chillie per annum although the annual production has declined to 10,000 metric tons. Most of the local production goes to the market as a vegetable while dried red chillie is predominantly imported....

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Posted in amu miris , green chillie , hot chillie , Ministry of Agriculture

122,400 acres of abandoned paddy fields in the war affected zone of the Northern Sri Lanka

(June 07, 2010) A survey by the Agrarian Service Department of Sri Lanka conducted after the end of the war reveals that there are about 122,400 acres of abandoned paddy fields in the war affected zone of the Northern Province. Meanwhile, the government says that under the Re-grow the North programme, the government will take steps to cultivate 60,000 acres of paddy fields in the next Maha season. However, the farmers resettled in these areas are severely in short of basic amenities far farming. Some have even in need of simple equipments like spad...

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Posted in Northern Province , paddy , rice farming , Sri Lanka