Cultivations

Rice is the main food in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka also exports some quantity of rice every year. Last few years that didn't happen. DOA is expecting a paddy harvest of 2.7 million MT in the Yala season, which runs from late April to mid September. Around 807,763 hectares of land cultivated in Sri Lanka for paddy, 64% is cultivated in Maha season while 35% is cultivated in Yala season. Around 879,000 farmer families are engaged in paddy cultivation in Sri Lanka. They are 20% of the country’s population and 32% of the employment. Now most of the farmers are cultivating genetically improved seeds. If weather is good farmer will get a good yield. Dry weather in harvesting season is necessary

The cultivation of the coconut palm in Sri Lanka is spread over more than twenty two centuries. The palm has a single terminal growing point. It contributes stem elongation, formation of flowers and nuts. It takes about 16 months from the initial formation of the flowers to their opening.

Under favourable condition, an adult palm produces 12 to 16 new leaves annually with a corresponding flower cluster. In a healthy crown, there are 30-40 leaves. A mature leaf is 3-4 meter in length and has 200 -250 leaflets. A leaf remains in the palm for about 3 years. When leaves are shed, a permanent scar is left on the trunk. 

A normal inflorescences may have 10-50 female flowers. Of them 50-70% fall off and balance developed into nuts, which will take about 12 months to mature.

The economic life of the palm is about 60-70 years, although much older trees are known to exist and yield well.

Sri Lanka with 439,000 Ha. has a production of 2274 million nuts and occupies third and fourth place respectively in area and production, earning about US$ 142.3 million through export of coconut products particularly coir products, desiccated coconuts, activated carbon, copra, coconut powder, and fresh coconut.

Sri Lanka is the largest coconut consuming country (70 – 80% of coconut is utilised for domestic consumption). It has been estimated that demand in Sri Lanka by 2010 will be 4000 million nuts to meet the domestic and industrial requirements.

Rubber cultivation in Sri Lanka was started by the English. It is our second biggest revenue earner. Rubber is not a native of Sri Lanka. It is a native of South America. But it grows very well in the middle country of Sri Lanka. It too, needs plenty of water and sunshine.

Many companies do rubber cultivation here because it does not pay very much to have it on small scale. Most of the companies grow rubber on estates of over hundred acres.

As in tea estates, there are gangs of laborers who tap rubber which needs skill, care and experience. The laborers here are mostly Sinhalese, but they do not start work well after the sun has risen and the climate in the mid country is not very cold. But the payment here is too poor. Once the rubber latex, (milk), is collected in to the buckets of about three gallons each, it is taken to the factory and heated and out comes the elastic substance we call rubber which is used for tires, tubes and for other rubber products. Most of the rubber produced is exported. There is chemically produced rubber, known as artificial rubber, in other countries, but natural rubber is far superior to the artificially manufactured rubber.

Sri Lanka resembles a pear-shaped island. Most of the tea plantations are located in the heartlands of the lower, central bulge. Tea growing takes place on three elevational levels. These include the top-quality, high-grown tea in the central hill region at 4,000-6,000 feet, with bright character and superior flavor due to the cooler air; medium-grown tea at 2,000-4,000 feet, known for being full-bodied with good color and strength; while strong and colory low-grown tea is produced below 2,000 feet. Much of the high-grown tea is cultivated on large estates whereas smaller gardens (usually under 10 acres) dominate the lower levels.
Sri Lanka's unique rainfall pattern guarantees an almost unbroken harvesting season within the country. Two separate monsoon seasons hit the island throughout the year; one from the north-east and another from the south-west. When production falls off on the teas from the western side or Dimbulla teas, there is a rise in production on the eastern side or Uva teas. The production of premium teas is aided by the presence of cool, dry winds. During the peak of the cropping season, teas can be picked at such a rate as to require a 24-hour processing cycle at the factories.