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An irrigation tank-centered farmer community in
Angunakolapelessa, whose historic livelihood is
threatened by the deterioration of the nucleus of its
existence, will receive a new lease of life through a
second rural tank rehabilitation project launched
recently by Hayleys, the diversified blue chip with an
enduring interest in agriculture.
The Group's Agri inputs company Hayleys Agro Products
Ltd., is now in the process of replicating the success
of its first effort to promote a holistic revival of
agrarian viability, at Aluthwewa -- a silted up 200
year-old village tank that has given its name to a
community of nearly 300 farmer families.
The new project will encompass restoring the tank to its
pristine glory, providing the farmers with access to the
latest results of the company's Research and Development
efforts including information on new and higher-yielding
crop varieties, advice on how to increase productivity,
access to better technology and inputs and the
development of mechanisms for reducing post-harvest
handling losses and for efficient marketing of produce.
Commenting on the project, Hayleys Chairman Rajan
Yatawara said: "We strongly believe that agriculture can
be a viable economic enterprise, provided there is a
model for sustainable agriculture. Our projects to
restore rural irrigation tanks go hand-in-hand with our
efforts to introduce a holistic model for the
improvement of the agronomy of the country."
The first such project undertaken by Hayleys was at
Kattambuwawa in the Kurunegala District, where the
restoration of a village tank coupled with the
establishment of a school ground and development of the
school library and a hands-on involvement of experts
with the local farming community has sparked a revival
of agriculture and led to an improvement of living
standards.
"We have improved on the model that led to a resurgence
in agriculture in Kattambuwawa, and have very high
expectations for Aluthwewa," Hayleys Agro Products
Managing Director Rizvi Zaheed said. "We plan to embark
on trials for diversified crops soon and hope to use
Aluthwewa as the nucleus to share information and
technology across the southern region."
The project is in fulfilment of a request made by former
Hayleys Chairman Sunil Mendis, who on his retirement,
declined a farewell reception and asked that the money
intended to be spent on it be used to rehabilitate a
second village tank instead.The renovation of the
Aluthwewa tank will be completed in October 2005.
After renovation the tank is expected to hold about 60
Acre Feet of water, 12 times more than its current
capacity of five Acre Feet. The current cultivatable
land area of 250 acres is expected to increase to 700
acres, encompassing both low land and up land
cultivation, after the restoration of the tank. The
total water spread area of the tank will be 40 acres.
Along with the renovation of the tank, Hayleys Agro will
also assist in setting up an agricultural library for
this area. The company will also involve the village
temple, the farmer associations and relevant government
institutions in re-establishing a link to the concept of
rural village life revolving around the tank, temple and
the school. The Aluthwewa tank and village have a
200-year history.
The Hayleys Group has had a historic involvement with
the agriculture sector in Sri Lanka. The 127 year-old
group has grown from a small proprietorship in Sri
Lanka's Southern port city of Galle into one of the
country's largest multinationals. Hayleys accounts for
3.2% of Sri Lanka's export income, 1 per cent of the
country's GDP and 2.4% of Domestic Value Addition.
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