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Facilitating services for higher availability of and better access to food
The school garden programme of 2000/2001, which initially covered 55 schools has become a standard programme in all Agricultural Ranges of the district. Today 22 school gardens are permanently maintained. They not only produce and promote the cultivation and multiplication of vegetable seedlings to support home gardening and semi-commercial vegetable cultivation, but are also demonstrating integrated farming. The Department of Agriculture with the support of IFSP has initiated about 4,400 home gardens all over the district. Altogether, about 1,700 MT of vegetables were produced during the years 2000 to 2003 at an estimated market value of Rs. 690 million.
The seed paddy outgrowing project involves more than 600 farm families in the cultivation of seed paddy in the Muthur DS Division. A seed paddy cleaning and sorting unit was procured and established at a cost of Rs. 2.5 million by IFSP-GTZ. The unit is to be managed by a local farmer’s company, which was formally established in September 2003, with more than 150 shareholders and a paid-in capital of Rs. 300,000. The registration process will be finalised in October 2003. To date more than 270 MT of seed paddy were certified by the Department of Agriculture. The seed paddy project has supplied quality seeds to 4,800 farm families at an estimated value of Rs 5.4 million.
The support for backyard poultry and goat farming is progressing. To date 530 families had received a goat unit of two female animals and 900 families were supported with poultry rearing. This programme aims at promoting small scale agri-business with emphasis on supporting rural women. The estimated market values from goat and chicken farming is Rs. 6.7 million
An aquaculture project has been initiated in cooperation with NAQDA at Mahadiwulwewa tank in the DS Division of Morawewa. Fingerlings of various species are reared in cages and then released into Mahadiwulwewa and six minor tanks in the DS Divisions of Gomarankadawela, Padavisiripura and Muthur. An intensive dialogue and training cum awareness with fisheries cooperative societies and farmer’s organisations ensures regulated fishing. IFSP had purchased fries from the Aquaculture Centre at Dambulla and raised them to fingerling size. To date about 16.5 MT of fish was harvested at an estimated market value of Rs. 500,000.
Small scale business and employment promotion under the ‘village development fund’ aims at overcoming the traditional ‘income generating activities’, which by and large have failed. From 1999 to 2003 almost 80 test projects for 130 families were supported with a focus on agri-business, crafts and local trade. A total base capital of Rs. 6.2 million has generated gross returns of Rs. 15.6 million. IFSP actively promotes the integration of either individual or group based small-scale business as part of the village economy. Economic development is a strong denominator for local stability.
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