The CSIAP lifts living standards of farmers with their cultivation - A Success Story

The CSIAP's Agriculture Specialist Ms. G.C.A. Gunawardena instructs  farmer Jinasiri in his field

Farming is the main livelihood in Senapura village, located in the Weerawila Agriculture Service Center area, Hambantota. Mr. S. Jinasiri (67) is one of famers who lives in Senapura village, Weerawila. Together with his wife and two sons, he planted Chilis, Green Gram and Sesame in his land under the support, technical guidance and right direction of the Deputy Project Director’s Office (Southern) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). Before the CSIAP arrived in his village, the revenue he earned was just enough to pay for his family’s daily needs. 

In the Yala season, he adopted Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies and practices such as crop diversification (Green Gram) in the paddy land, making soil contour bunds in his all land area covering 10 acre field, making little plots in between contour lines as a water harvesting technique covering entire land, increasing the use of water efficiency by the sprinkler irrigation system and applying organic manure and mulching introduced by the CSIAP.

Under the Seed Production Village Programme, he cultivated Green Gram given by the CSIAP in his  02 acre land and produced 550kg of quality seeds. Subsequently, farmer Jinasiri sold 1kg of seeds at Rs. 650 and earned Rs.357,500. This energetic farmer was interested in expanding his cultivation furthermore in the same season with the support of the CSIAP. He started cultivating chilis in his 0.25 acer land after obtaining standard chilli seeds (variety KA2) from the CSIAP. Not only that, he used his own sprinkler irrigation system to increase the use of water efficiency too. This farmer will expect 500kg of Green Chilis and anticipates an income of around Rs.250,000.

Farmer Jinasiri is preparing his land

Finally, farmer Jinasiri adapted CSA technologies and practices such as preparing land with initial rain, crop cultivation is done only using rainwater without using water stored at the tank, cultivating suitable verities for the area and the cropping season, seeding with the initial rains in the season, practising Integrated Pest Management (IPM), constructing contour soil bunds for soil erosion control, implementing rainwater harvesting techniques and maintaining plant density by thinning out in the Maha Season 2021/2022  to cultivate Sesame (Variety:  Uma) in his  01 acre  land. He assumes  350kg of Sesame harvest and expects Rs: 175,000.

The CSIAP is taking steps forward furthermore to make the agriculture sector more productive, sustainable and resilient for the betterment of farmers living in hotspot areas where the CSIAP is being implemented.