New techniques used to increase harvest after Yala debacle

 By Ajithlal Shanthaudaya   
With the objective of cultivating more paddy and encouraging youth to engage in paddy cultivation, modern technology and machinery were introduced in the Kuruwita Agriculture Advisor’s Division. Accordingly, two pilot projects were launched to plant paddy in the Kandangoda range using the parachute system and planting with the use of machinery in the Karapincha Gabwela paddy-field following advice offered by the Provincial Agricultural Department.   
Agriculture Advisor of the Kuruwita Division, Viraj Hiripitiya explained that while the cultivable extent of paddy in the Kuruwita Agriculture Advisor’s Division is 958 hectares, the target for cultivation this Yala Season had been 140 hectares of paddy. However, he said even that could not be achieved due to climatic issues among other things and that they had only been able to cultivate only 100 acres to date.   
According to Hiripitiya the farmers had complained about an acute shortage of skilled labourers for agricultural activities while there were also problems with engaging in traditional paddy cultivation. They point out that the younger generation of farmers were not willing to cultivate paddy using the old techniques used 
by them. 
The agriculture advisor was also in agreement with the younger farmers and said cultivating paddy using modern machinery helps solve the problems of time spent on the cultivation process. Additionally, a bumper harvest would ensue by using less paddy seeds while using modern methods would also make it possible to keep the the paddy cultivation free from weeds.   

While the cultivable extent of paddy in the Kuruwita Agriculture Advisor’s Division is 958 hectares, the target for cultivation this Yala Season had been 140 hectares of paddy