the way forward- browns farms-by harindu lorensu hewa

8/3/2019 The Way Forward- Browns Farms-By Harindu Lorensu Hewa

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T H E W A Y F O R W A R D B R O W N S F A R M S Page 1

THE WAY

FORWARD

Browns Farms Concept

Prepared byHarindu Lorensu Hewa (BSc/MSc Agri)

12/12/2011


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T H E W A Y F O R W A R D

B R O W N S F A R M S Page 2

THE WAY FORWARDBROWNS FARMS

The Browns agriculture is one that sustainable agri-business where as

enhances environmental quality and the resource base on which agriculture is

depending. That provides for basic human needs, ensure the food security as

well as business is turning to economically viable venture and ultimate

improve the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole"

Concept of Agri Business

The total concept refers to the various businesses involved in timber

production, food production; including animal farming, seed supply,

agrochemicals, fertilizer, farm machinery, irrigation, extension service,

agricultural biology as well as wholesale & distribution, export, processing,

marketing, and retail etc. But here discuss only few areas which govern the high

market potential to overall business and total concept can be extended into more

sub sector future time being.

Concept Outline

1. Agro Forestry2. Seeds Business3. Crop Business4. Horticulture Crop Production

5. Tissue Culture Laboratory & Plant Nursery Management6. Consultancy & Extension Service7. Out Grower Farms8. Agri Machinery9. Agro Tourism10. Browns Agriculture Technology & Management College11. Browns Agriculture Technology Park12. Other Supportive Ventures / Processors


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Agro Forestry

The direct benefits of forest plantations on the value of the land are forest products suchas saw timber, fuel wood, charcoal, poles, post, boundary planting, food products,

fodder for livestock, medicinal products, shade for agricultural crops, esthetics/biodiversity and land reclamation.

How to Establish Forest Plantation

1. Lay-out

For large-scale forest plantation planning the plantation lay-out is complex as itmust include the exact location and shape of the forest plantation, road networkplan, location of waterways for fire-fighting purposes, subdivision into sub-units(compartments) with open lines between for fire breaks and access, spacing and

mapping

2. Site preparation

The extent of preparation needed for the planting site depends on four factors:purpose of plantation, species to be planted, existing vegetative cover and soilconditions. Site preparation comprises two main field activities: removal of theexisting vegetation to reduce and/or eliminate competition and groundpreparation to improve water retention and provide optimal soil conditions forthe plantations initial phase. Four methods can be used for vegetation clearance:

manual, mechanical, by burning or use of weedicides. For ground preparationafter vegetation has been cleared, different methods also exist, such as pioneerploughing, subsoiling, pre-planting harrowing, planting pits and terracing.

3. Planting operation

The first variable influencing planting is timing. Throughout the tropics theoccurrence of the rainy season usually determines the planting time.Evapotranspiration stress at planting is one of the main causes of initial death.To minimize planting stress, seedlings should be planted when the soil moisture

level has returned to field capacity, ie, after approximately 100 mm of steady rainhas fallen; during cloudy days; and using well-watered seedlings.


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The Development of Teak Plantations (Tectona grandis l.f)

Teak plantations have been widely established throughout the country with the mainobjectives to produce high quality timber within a period of 30-60 years. In general, the

productivity of the teak plantation is 8-10 m3/ha/year. Three main factors affect growthand quality of the plantation is site quality, seed supply and silvicultural management.

Site quality has direct effect on the growth and development of the plantation. Teakgrows well on moist sites. To produce high quality timber trees, the site should besubjected to a dry period of 3-5 months duration. Teak soil is deep, well- drained, andalluvial with high calcium, organic matter and other element content. The soil pH is 6.5-7.5. Teak is a light-demanding species. As a result, intensive weeding in 1-5 year-oldplantations is very important.

The supply of improved seed for planting program is a major problem especially incountries like Sri Lanka where teak is an exotic. A large quantity of improved seed canbe obtained through establishment and management of seed production areas and seedorchards. Clone propagation by tissue culture is an option for mass production ofplanting stock. This technique is technically and economically feasible.

Appropriate and timely silvicultural management must be carried out to improve boththe growth rate and quality. Initial spacing has marked effects on growth, quality andestablishment cost. Planting time also plays an important role on initial growth andsurvival of the plantation. The most suitable time for teak planting is during the growthflush period, i.e., the beginning of rainy season. Intensive weeding should be carriedout during the first five years after establishment.

The outbreak of defoliators and stem borers has become a serious problem; there is nopractical method for controlling these insects. First and second thinning are conductedat ages 5 and 10 years in close spaced plantations using a simple mechanical thinningtechnique. Subsequent thinning is carried out using relevant thinning guidelines.

The plantation should be intercropping with non-perennial crops for initial ROI. Therecommend cultivations are Pineapple, Citrus, Pepper, Chili and selected vegetables.


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The Development of Mahogany Plantations (Swietenia macrophylla)

Swietenia macrophylla is suitable for large-scale timber production plantationsbecause of its excellent timber quality. The wood can be used for constructionmaterials, plywood, high-grade furniture and cabinet making. It is also suitable for

paneling, framing, flooring, automobile bodies, interior trim of boats, radio andphonograph cabinets, bodies of musical instruments, moldings and otherornaments. Plantation should be intercropped by with maize, upland rice orcassava, corn, peanuts or pumpkin.

Five-year-old plants - S. macrophylla trees of chaterctistics Seedling nurseryshape planted by small holder

Mahogany is a very large tree, reaching a height of 30-40 m and a girth of 3-4 m; infavorable conditions it can reach 60 m high and 9m girth. Trunk straight, cylindrical,with a buttressed base; bark rough, flaking off in small patches. Leaves up to 60 cmlong; leaflets 6-16, ovate, lanceolate, acuminate, slightly oblique, light green or reddishwhen young, dark green and shining when mature, up to 20 cm long, with 8-12 pale.The hardwood is red-brown in appearance.

The density of the wood of plantation-grown trees is often somewhat less than that oftrees from the forest in the natural area of distribution and weighs 485-840 kg/m at12% mc. The wood has Gum or resin: A gum is produced from cuts in the bark for

markets in Bombay India, it is marketed in both pure form and mixed with other gums,tannin or dyestuff. The bark is used for dyeing and tanning leather. Lipids Oil thatmight be of some commercial value can be extracted from the seed kernels.


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Gliricidia Plantation (Gliricidia sepium)

Dendro-Thermal Energy (DTE) Development from Agro Forestry

Fuel crisis will be a problem for agriculture development in future. Increase of cost of

production is imminent as labour and energy is limited. However, the ever escalatingprice of crude oil in the world market has caused a continuous increase of price of fossilfuel resulting in finding an alternative way for fuel.Bio-fuel is one option as an alternative as ethanol by-product can be obtained from theplants derivatives. The production of Gliricedia sepium can be used as cover plant inagro forestry and being utilized except as green manure to a certain extent. This tree canbe explored for dendro- thermal energy production. The DTE manufacturing usingGliricidia has already been started in the several provinces. Gliricidia is an energy cropin its sticks can be harvested every eight months, and used as dendro fuel. Thegeneration of 1 unit of electrical energy requires 0.5kg coal or 1kg of wood.

This is a biomass power plant based on a rural community which cultivates a treespecies Gliricidia. The harvest the branches of the tree periodically and dry sticks are

used by the power plant.

Other Uses

Gliricidia is widely used as boundary fences in plantations and has a variety of uses insustainable agri business. It is a hardy, fast growing tree that can withstand even themost adverse weather conditions. It grows in a variety of soil conditions and it is freefrom disease and pests. It is used as supports for fruit & vegetable cultivation, paddy

and agro forestry.It is a legume that can greatly enrich the soil and hence its green matter forms an idealbase for organic fertilizer. The leaves are an attractive fodder for goats and cattle.The ability of soil to retain moisture content is enhanced by approximately 50% whenGliricidia is grown as a multi-crop under agro forestry.Gliricidia multi-cropping improves the organic matter content of soil by 40% at a depthof 15cm, 50kg of processed Gliricidia leaves can reduce annual chemical fertilizerrequirements, yielding the equivalent of 0.8kg Urea, 0.25kg Eppawala Phosphate, 0.6kgMu of Potash and 0.5kg Dolomite Solar radiation utilization on a plantation is increasedfrom 6% to 94% in the presence of Gliricidia. Moreover this has been categorized as 4 th

plantation crop in Sri Lanka


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Seed Business

Seed Paddy Cultivation (Oryza sativa)

The production of consumption paddy has very low profit margin and, in fact, shows

an overall negative result. The standard of the cultivation technique and the inputsnecessary for a viable production are rather low. Full time engaged farmer face financialdifficulties due to the seasonality of paddy price, unfavorable market conditions,unpredictable weather conditions and comparatively high costs for farm inputs.Against this scenario, paddy is still cultivated to secure the family food requirementsand because there are very limited opportunities for alternative use of the farm capitalassets. The household and the village food security are achieved through the paddyproduction.

The lack of quality seed paddy is one of the major reasons that affect the yield. Low

yields directly reduce the returns and profits. Commercial seed paddy production,however, not certified, fills the gap to certain extent. It involves more of less similarpractices as for the production of consumptions paddy, except that the cultivatorspractice better management, but generates a 2.5 time increase in returns.

The cultivation and production of certified seed paddy is profitable. It furthercontributes to improvements in the local and regional paddy economy. Certified paddyseed could be sold at Rs. 550 per bushel. The additional investment needed is Rs.2500per acre against an almost threefold return. The certified seed paddy productiongenerates high profit margins. Good land and weed management, pest control and

harvesting without mixing with other varieties are essential preconditions.

Paddy Husk Charcoal Production

The paddy husk is by-product of paddy cleaning, can be used for charcoal productionand using as a soil improvement input for the paddy fields and other crops. Especiallypaddy husk charcoal is used to control soil salinity and to improve fertilizer useefficiency.


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Maize Seed Farm (Zea maize)

Maize is primarily a rain fed crop cultivated in the maha season in both settled andshifting (chena) types of highland cultivation. The primary sources of demand for maizeare the rural farming population, where maize is consumed both on the cob and as flourand in the provender industry, where it is used in about 25% of the poultry feedmanufactured. It is important crop only in the districts of Anuradhapura, Ampara,Badulla, Moneragala, Matale and Batticaloa, where the area is over 2000 ha. Thesedistricts, popularly called "the maize belt", account for over 80% of the land planted tomaize in the country. The national extent of maize is 23,000-28,000 ha and the annualproduction is around 35,000 t. There is a wide variation in yield among districts,ranging from 0.14 t/ha to 6.18 t/ha. The well drained paddy soil is suitable for maizecultivationMaize is one of the subsidiary food crops cultivated in the highlands, and it thereforecompetes with other crops such as cowpea, green gram, groundnut, chilli and fingermillet for space and inputs. It is often cultivated mixed with these crops.

Currently a large amount of Maize (approximately 150,000 metric tons) is beingimported to the country annually to supplement the local Maize production, which isonly 30,000 40,000 metric tons per year. Maize is one of the main ingredients used inthe animal feed industry, which formulates around 500,000 metric tons of animal feedregularly. Sri Lanka spends around US Dollars 30 million annually to import Maize.Hence, the countrys import of Maize is bound to be a huge drain on Sri Lankas foreignexchange. The local and imported raw materials for animal feed production in SriLanka as follow

Gap = 92,052 mt

Gap = 74,272 mt

The P&L for maize cultivation as follow -

Total cost Rs/ac 10,155.96

Average yield kg/ac 1,173

Unit cost Rs/kg8.66

Selling price Rs/kg 14.27

Income Rs/ac 16,738.00

Profit Rs/ac 6,582.70

Raw material Usage (mt) Local Production(mt) Imports(mt)

Maize 175,000 32,948 125,000

Soyabean 75,000 728 75,000


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Crop Business - Paddy Cultivation

Rice is the single most important crop occupying 34% (0.77/million ha) of thetotal cultivated area on Sri Lanka. On average 560000 ha are cultivated during Maha

Month & 310000 ha for yala month making the average annual extent sown with riceto about 870000 ha. About 1.8 million farm families are engaged in paddy cultivationisland-wide. Sri Lanka currently produces 2.7 million tone of rough rice annually &satisfies around 95% of the domestic requirement & 5% of total need satisfied by theimported rice. The per capita consumption of rice fluctuates around 100 kg per yeardepending on the price of rice, bread & wheat flour. It is projected that the demandfor rice will increase at 1.1% per year & to meet this rice production should grow atthe rate of 2.9% per year. Increasing the cropping intensity & national average yieldare the options available to achieve this production targets. The currency cost ofproduction of rough rice is Rs 15.00 per kg. Nadu rice could be sold at Rs 30-33 &sambha rice at between Rs 35-38 /kg. The cost of labour, farm power & tradableinputs constitutes of 55%, 23% & 23% respectively. The labor cost has risen at ahigher rate than other costs over the last few years. While the global demand for ricewill increase at 1.95% the production will increase at 1.62% / annum. Departmenthas making a tradable rice volume to be doubled in 20 years time.

Organic Paddy Farm Development

World market is inclined to consider quality of food that is consumed and its effect

on health resulting in to go in search of organically produced food. Organic farming is

advocated to safe guard the agro-eco-system. The use of quality compost, bio fertilizer,

green manure and green leaf manure and application of enriched farm yard manure are

the methods of organic farming to be popularized to ensure economic and integrated

plant nutrition management in crop production. Certification standard of organic

product will be developed by the agriculture department for national competitive

market.

Since demand is driven to old varieties like Pachchaiperumal, Henati for those

nutritive quality and these varieties are fertilizer non responsive, Organic rice farming

with these traditional rice varieties can be promoted in an organized manner to capture

the demand for organic rice in niche market. Further, low potential area may be

considered for organic rice farming promotion in future. The main objectives are toproduce quality organic rice for niche market, enter into world organic market, supply

toxic free organic product and minimize environmental pollution by agronomic

practices.


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Traditional Paddy Varieties Cultivation

The famous varieties known as Suduru Samba, Suvanda Samba, Pachcha Perumal,Kalu Heenati, Kalu Baala Wee, Rath-el, Suvandel, etc. have been identified as specialvarieties capable of withstanding environmental disabilities and insect borne diseaseswhile being superior in hygienic qualities and consumer taste. With the expansion ofchemical fertilizer usage, the paddy plants tended to be taller un-proportionatelyresulting in a decrease in harvest. This paddy has niche market in Sri Lanka andpotential demand for exporting. The following varieties have high demand out ofmore than 600 varieties.

Suwandel is delectable white rice with an exquisite aroma. Its special milky tastemakes it an ideal choice for festive occasions and ceremonies. It is known to promotefair and glowing skin; improve the functioning of the excretory system; improvevocal clarity; enhance male sexual potency and helps control diabetes.Rathdel can help fight against viral fever. It is recommended for rashes caused by

mental stress and provides relief for ailments in the urinary system. It also helps flushtoxic excretory matter and cools the body. Roasted and ground rathdel raw ricetempered with ghee can be an effective remedy for purging. It is proven forpreventing the formation of stones in the bladder and gall bladder. Porridge madeout of rathdel rice, sarana (Boerhavia diffusa), sugar, raisins and fresh cows milk issuitable for those suffering from tuberculosis and lung ailments. Consumption ofboiled rathdel rice mixed with ghee enhances male sexual potency.Kaluheenati, which literally means dark, fine grain, is highly nutritious red rice thatis considered to have medicinal properties, and is particularly recommended forlactating mothers. This is highly nutritious red rice that enhances male sexual potency

and physical strength. Its high fiber content helps regulate bowel movement. It iseffective in keeping diabetes under control as well as controlling the toxic effects ofsnake bites. Porridge made from kaluheenati rice is highly recommended for hepatitispatients.Ma-Wee is a red rice variety with its scrumptious texture that is low in carbohydrates.It provides relief for burning sensation and cools the body. Ma-Wee rice consumedtogether with meat can reduce alcohol intoxication. It is recommended fortuberculosis patients; helps control diabetesKuruluthuda is a delectable and nutritious red rice variety which is rich in proteins. Itimproves bladder functioning and enhances male sexual potency.

Pachchaperumal is a red rice variety rich in nutrients and protein which is anexcellent choice for your every day meal.Madathawalu is another traditional red rice variety that is highly recommended inAyurvedic treatment to strengthen the immune system.Hetadha Wee is a red rice variety that helps control diabetes and provides relief forburning sensations and cools the body. It relieves ailments caused by biologicalimbalances; improves physical strength and blood vomiting and bleeding disorders.


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Production of Rice Bran Oil

Production of rice bran oil is profitable venture. In here we can utilize rice by-product in

an effective way and should introduce rice bran oil usage in market to minimize the use

of unhealthy oil.

Rice bran oil (also known as rice bran extract) is the oil extracted from the germ andinner husk of rice. It is notable for its very high smoke point of 490 F (254 C) and its

mild flavor, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking methods such as stir frying

and deep frying. It is popular as cooking oil in several Asian countries. Consumed at

room temperature or cooler, rice bran oil is rich in vitamin E, gamma-oryzanol (an

antioxidant that is used for many alternative herbal therapies, and may help prevent

heart attacks), and phytosterols (compounds believed to help lower cholesterol

absorption), which may provide associated health benefits.

Rice Bran wax, obtained from Rice Bran Oil is used as a substitute of Carnauba wax,

used in shoe creams and shoe polishes.This is heavily used in cosmetic production and spa products. The rice bran soap has

niche market and good for skin due to enrichment of Vitamin E complexes.Despite its similarities to other common vegetable oils, rice bran oil offers severalunique properties that make it very interesting as specialty oil in niche markets. It has avery appealing nut-like flavor and once extracted is very stable with good fry-life. Butperhaps its most notable feature is its high level of components with nutraceutical valuesuch as gamma-oryzanol and tocotrienols.The structure of the rice kernel is illustrated follow. The bran fraction, which includesthe germ or embryo in most commercial milling operations, represents only about 8% ofpaddy weight but contains about three-fourths of the total oil containing about 15-20%oil (the same general range of soybeans), rice bran is commercially feasible for oilextraction.

By weight rice bran has 17% oil content. The extracting process starts with raw material

preparation. It is heated by steam at 100 C degree to stop lipase hydrolysis in rice bran

prior to extract. This is call rice bran oil extracting process.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cereal_germhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_pointhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stir_fryinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_fryinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooking_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_Ehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gamma-oryzanol&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioxidanthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytosterolshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytosterolshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioxidanthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gamma-oryzanol&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_Ehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooking_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_fryinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stir_fryinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_pointhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cereal_germhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_oil


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Coarse Food Grains Cultivation

Major coarse grain crops are Kurrakkan, Sorghum, Finger Millet, Kodo millet (Minnery)

and Corn.

Finger Millat Kurakkan (Eleusine coracana )

Finger millet is especially valuable as it contains the amino acid methionine. The grainis made into a fermented drink (beer). The straw from finger millet is used as animalfodder. Finger millet is a popular food among diabetic patients in the country. Its slowdigestion indicates low blood sugar levels after a finger millet diet thereby reacting as asafer food for diabetics. Millets are traditionally grown on newly cleared chenas duringmaha season and are usually planted without land preparation . Higher yields can beobtained in cultivated fields if the soil is worked to a fine tilth with a disc harrow. Inupland seeds should be planted in moist soil and protected them biological hazards.The raise beds or the basin systems can be adapted for irrigation. Seed rate for broadcasting 6-8 kg/ha and for row seeding 3-4 kg. The fertilizer application asBasal Urea50 kg/haTSP 50 kg/haMOP 50 kg/ha.

Cost of Cultivation for rain fed Kurakkan

Operation Cost (RS./ha) Materials (Rs./ha) Total (Rs./ha)

Land Preparation 7128.42 - 7128.42

Seeding 4691.27 269.30 4960.57

Fertilizer Application - - -

Weeding/Earthling 6526.97 - 6526.97

Harvest/Drawing/processing 2463.82 - 2463.82

Total cost 20810.49269.30

21,079.79

Average yield 1324 kg/ha

Price (Rs./kg) 24.36

Income (Rs.) 32,515.47

Profit inclusive of imputed cost (Rs.) 11,435.68
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amino_acidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methioninehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermentation_(food)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermentation_(food)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methioninehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amino_acid


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Sorghum Cultivation (Sorghum bicolor)

Sorghum is a contender to maize in the provender industry, which dependant up on thegrain price in the world market. The international crop research institute has developedgermplasm which are highly suitable for both food and feed purposes. Poor demand

arising from more popularity of other major cereals and high bird damage are the mainreasons for less popularity of the crop when both quality and yield are superior innewly improved varieties.

In Maha these crops can be raised as rain fed as well with supplementaryirrigation when there are drought periods. Maha crop can be establishedwith Maha rains that occur in latter part of September or first week ofOctober for successful growth. Yala crops should be establishedwith Yala rains that fall in later part of April. By timely cultivationpest problems can be reduced.

Grain Legumes Cultivation

Mungbean, Cowpea, Pigeonpea , Chickpea, Black gram and Soybean are the mainlegume crops which contribute to vegetable protein required to the population.

Soya Cultivation (Glycine max)

Soybean is rich in protein and oil. Protein content of the Soybean can be as high 40%with the fat reaching even 22%. Fiber content of the Soybean can be around 9 %. Thishas niche market with upcoming modern trend of vegetarian concept.

There are three varieties are popular PB 1, PM 13 and PM 25. These show an erectgrowth with a plant height of around 30-60 cm. It flowers in 25-35 days after planting.Soybean can be grown in most agro-climatic regions but preferred areas are Dry zoneand drier pats of the intermediate Zone. Almost any soil with a pH of 6-7 is adequate,but excessive moisture is not acceptable. Soybean tolerates a degree of poor drainage.Highlands in maha and well-drained paddy fields in yala are preferable for Soybeancultivation. It can also be grown on highlands during yala if there is sufficient soil

moisture.

One ploughing followed by a harrowing and shape into furrows & ridges. Ridgesshould be formed 40-50 cm apart to facilitate irrigation.Sun dry seeds for 2-3 days to lower moisture content to about 10-12%.Beans for seedshould be dried to 9%. Cool sun -dried seeds for 2-3 hours before bagging, then store ina cool, dry place.

Yield potential under irrigated condition 3000Kg/ha, rainfed condition 2000Kg/ha.
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About 85 percent of the worlds soybeans are processed, or "crushed," annually intosoybean meal and oil. Approximately 98 percent of the soybean meal that is crushed isfurther processed into animal feed with the balance used to make soy flour andproteins. The oil fraction, 95 percent is consumed as edible oil, the rest is used forindustrial products such as fatty acids, soaps and biodiesel. Soy is one of the few plants

that provide a complete protein as it contains all eight amino acids essential for humanhealth.

Food uses of soybeans include traditional soyfoods such as tofu and soymilk as well as20th century innovations meat analogs and soy-based yogurts, for example. Soyingredients have become staples in the food manufacturing industry. Lecithin is widelyused as an emulsifier, partially hydrogenated soybean oil has been a mainstay in theproduction of snacks, baked goods, salad dressings and other soy protein ingredientsplay functional roles in baked foods, processed meats and other products.

In addition to being used for their functional characteristics, soy ingredients are used toadd nutrition to processed foods, some isolated soy proteins, for instance, arespecifically designed to be used in acidic or clear beverages. Soybeans are alsoprocessed into many industrial products. The primary one at this time is biodiesel, orsoy methyl esters, which may be used in any diesel engine. In addition, soybeans areprocessed into hydraulic oil, grease, solvent, ink, plastics and other products.

Common Processing Method

After being cleaned and dehulled, one of three processes is used to separate thesoybean oil from the protein meal (this is also called "crushing" or "oil mill" operations).

These processes are:

Solvent extraction: This process, which is the one used most commonly aroundthe world, uses hexane to leach or wash (extract) the oil from flaked oilseeds.This method reduces the level of oil in the extracted flakes to one percent or less.

Continuous pressing: This process is performed at elevated temperatures, usinga screw press to express the oil from ground and properly conditioned soybeans.The pressed cake is reduced to between 4 percent and 6 percent oil content bythis method.

Hydraulic or batch pressing: This is an intermittent pressing operation carriedout at elevated temperatures in a mechanical or hydraulic press after thesoybeans have been rolled into flakes and properly conditioned by heattreatment. It is the oldest known method of processing oilseeds.


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Yams and Tuber Crops Development

Root & Tuber Crops are categorized as Potato, Cassava, Sweet Potato, Innala, Kiriala,Dioascorea (Maha wel ala/Kuda wel ala)

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L)

At present potato is extensively cultivated in the district of Nuwara Eliya (Up countrywet zone >1000m amsl) in two major seasons, "Yala" (Feb - July) and "Maha" (Aug -Dec.) where annual rainfall is >2,500mm and temperature ranges between 10-15 Cwith the relative humidity of 80%. It also widely grown in Badulla District (UpCountry intermediate zone- 1000 to 1500 m amsl) in paddy fields and high landduring "Yala' and "Maha" seasons respectively. This area experiences the rainfall of1500 - 2250 mm annually with 70 % RH and 15- 22 C range in temperature. PuttlamAnd Jaffna are the other two districts where the potato is grown in lesser extent. The

famous varieties are Sita, Lukshmi, Granola, Kurihi, Derisee, Manike, Kondor andIsna.

Potato is cultivated as high value cash crop during the rainy season mainly in

Jaffna and in small scale in other districts. Potato cultivation will be promoted to meet

the requirement of the population with reduced cost of production. Lanka potatoes

have high demand rather than imported one.

Potato is the most popular crop of upcountry farmers due to its high net return.

Yams are considered as poor mans diet for food security. Cassava, sweet potato and

King yam are cultivated as backyard crop in plantation. Since yams are long aged cropsand need irrigation for longer period for fruitful harvest, yam cultivation in large scale

does not exist but are, in small scale, cultivated for market purpose in homesteads. For

homestead food security, yams can be cultivated in very small scale with kitchen waste

water. Sweet potato is cultivated under rain-fed condition in suitable land and

marketed. With the Development of cottage level fried chip production for income

generation by the farmers, Cassava /manioc has now become potential crop for

enterprise development resulting an increase of cassava production.. Cassava and sweet

potato are important crops for exploring bio- fuel production in industrial sector too.
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Oil Seed Crops

The famous high value oil crops are Sesame, Groundnut, Sunflower, Castor and

Mustard. Sesame (gingerly) and Groundnut are extensively can be cultivated in all

districts and Kilinochchi are prominent for sesame production and Mullaitivu isprominent for groundnut cultivation where has good potential for expansion of

groundnut crop cultivation as well drained soil tract extensively available in the North.

Sesame Cultivation (Sesamum indicumL)

Sesame is generally cultivated with residual moisture in the paddy land after harvest of

paddy in the month of February in dry zone. In some location, high land cultivation

takes place at the end of rainy season. High fatty acid content of this crop product paves

way for oil extraction enterprise in household level. Fatty acid of the crops product isedible and has high digestible cholesterol (HDL) Lipids. White and black seed varieties

are available for different purposes of cultivation.

Sesame seeds (approximately 50% oil and 25% protein) are used in baking, candy

making, and other food industries. Oil from the seed is used in cooking and salad oils

and margarine, and contains about 47% oleic and 39% linoleic acid. Sesame oil and

foods fried in sesame oil have a long shelf life because the oil contains an antioxidant

called sesamol. The oil can be used in the manufacture of soaps, paints, perfumes,

pharmaceuticals and insecticides. Sesame meal, left after the oil is pressed from the

seed, is an excellent high-protein (34 to 50%) feed for poultry and livestock.Sesame requires a warm, moist, weed-free seedbed. Good drainage is important,

because the plant is extremely susceptible to water logging at any stage of growth. Since

sesame is planted late, several generations of weeds can be killed by repeated tillage

before planting.

Sesame is one of the most versatile crops that can be grown in dry arid regions. It hasunique tributes that can fit almost any cropping system. It is an easy crop to include ina rotation because equipment used for other crops can be used to grow sesame. Sesameis more profitable with limited resources than other crops using the same level of

resources. It offers more return for less cost (less risk) than other crops. A first timegrower can easily experiment with sesame because of the low input requirementswithout risking too much. With currently increasing input costs, this attribute alone is amajor reason to grow sesame which is very heat, drought, disease, and insect tolerant,relatively negligible economic damage from wild hogs, birds, diseases, and insect pests.Crops following sesame have increased yields with reduced production costs because ofincreased moisture retention and better soil tilth.


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Groundnut(Arachis villosulicarpa)

The top groundnut varieties are Tissa and Indhi. The variety Walawa is a

confectionary type which can be used for confectionary industry. This crop product has

potential platters for industrial sector in oil extraction and confectionary production.Groundnut is cultivated in both rain-fed and irrigated conditions. The crop

management is very poor due to limited market and the demand is available only for

raw nut which is used for fried or boiled consumption.

Imports and exports details Source: Sri Lanka Customs

Year Imports Exports

Quantity (mt) Value (000 Rs) Quantity (mt) Value (000 Rs)

1999 4348 158402 0.31 34.67

2000 4399 172957 0.07 3.922001 4893 210160 0.25 37.99

2002 5494 233319 0.03 21.7

2003 2680 79556 0.11 7.0

Producer's prices details Source: Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research & Training Institute

Year Producers price Rs/kg

1998 33.06

1999 32.69

2000 32.96

2001 34.592002 35.00

Labour requirement and cost of production

Source : Socio Economic & Planning Centre, Dept. of Agriculture

Description Groundnut (Rainfed)District: Monaragale

Sesame (Rainfed)District: Monaragale

Average Yield (kg/ha) 1376 590

Price of produce (Rs/kg) 28.20 42.46Gross income(Rs/kg)

38825.00 25065.00

Total cost (Rs/kg) 15192.00 6785.00

Profit (Rs/kg) 23,611.00 18,266.40


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Value Added Product

Value-added products have been developed which have a number of applicationsincluding bakery, confectionery and the general consumer market at local &international.

Peanut Flour

Made from raw peanuts which have been cleaned, blanched and electronically sorted toselect the highest quality peanuts, the nuts are then roasted and naturally processed toobtain lower fat peanut flour with a strong roasted peanut flavor.Peanut flour is used in confectionery products, seasoning blends, bakery mixes,frostings, fillings, cereal bars and nutritional bars. Because the flour is partially defatted,it works well as a fat binder in applications such as confection centers. Using peanutflour at a level of 4-8 percent in a formulation has been found to extend the shelf life of

confections and can contribute a peanut flavor to the product. Peanut flour, because ofits high protein content (45-50 percent), is a good protein source in addition to itsfunction as a flavoring agent.

Peanut Oil

Peanut oil is extracted from shelled and crushed peanuts by one or a combination of thefollowing methods: hydraulic pressing; expeller pressing; and solvent extraction.Highly aromatic 100 percent peanut oil and peanut extract also are available. Theseproducts have a strong roasted peanut flavor and aroma. Suggested applications for

these products include flavoring compounds, confections, sauces and baked goods.

Roasted Peanuts

Roasted peanuts are available in several different packages and roast variations.Different coatings can be applied to the peanuts prior to and after roasting to provide avariety of products including such flavors as honey, smoked, sweet, hot & spicy andsalty.

Peanut Butter

A variety of different peanut butter products is currently available. Peanuts are roasted,blanched and sorted before grinding into a creamy consistency. Peanut butter producedby sweeteners and salt can be added to enhance flavor while small amounts ofstabilizers are used to prevent oil separation. Other modified formulations for peanutbutter, peanut spreads and peanut paste are available from most manufacturers. Peanutbutter is available in consumer-ready packaging or in institutional/catering containersfor use in bakery and confectionery products.


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Sun Flower Oil Production (Helianthus annuus L).

Sunflower is mainly used for the extraction of oil. Defatted meal is the main by product

of sunflower oil extraction and it is rich in protein and certain minerals. Defatted meal is

mostly fed to animals and birds. The large seeded non-oil seed varieties normally

provide feed for birds and also used as whole roasted seeds similar to peanuts. After

dehulling, the kernels are sold as confectionery nuts.

Sun flower cultivation is feasible venture and main challenges are poor seeds

production and poor oil extraction facilities constrained the cultivation. With advance

technology, constraints can be overcome and restart sun flower cultivation initially as

marginal crop. Drying of seeds is the first step in sunflower seed processing. The

moisture content of freshly harvested sunflower seeds may be as high as 20%. To ensure

safe storage, the seeds must be dried to less than 10% moisture. Sunflower seed is

decorticated before the oil is extracted to ensure that the cake is a nutritious animal

feed. Extraction of oil from sunflower seeds or kernels can be done using generalequipments and operating conditions used for soybean or other oil seeds. The

extraction of oil from sunflower is done by mechanical extraction, prepress solvent

extraction and direct solvent extraction methods.

This is profitable and demanding cultivation since can be reduced the import of

vegetable oil.Confection sunflower seed is processed according to these steps:

Seed preparation and cleaning Grading the seeds into large, medium and small sizes

Seeds to be marketed as in-shell are bagged Seeds to be sold as kernel are hulled and then bagged Storage

Oil-type sunflower seed is normally processed according to these steps:

Seed Preparation and cleaning Dehulling Physical pressing of the sunflower seed with subsequent hexane extraction of the

remaining oil in the meal

Degumming Refining Bleaching Dewaxing Deodorization Storage


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Horticulture Crop Production

Horticulture is an umbrella word that covers a great array of food and amenityplants, for example: tree nuts (but not coconut), tree fruits (top fruits), berries (softfruits), leafy vegetables, fruiting vegetables, root, tuber and bulb vegetables, culinary

herbs (basil, coriander, parsley, and cloves), melons, gourds, pumpkins and squash, etc.Sri Lanka is a tropical horticultural paradise and blessed with an agro-climate suitablefor a wide range of tropical, subtropical and some temperate fruits.

Northern region fruits receive a higher preference among consumers due to its unique

flavors and taste of consumer preference. Pest management methods in fruits and

vegetables are dangerously out of hand. Estimated losses in post-harvest handling

channels have been put at approximately 40 percent. Fruit and vegetable processors and

exporters cite the unavailability of quality produce in sufficient quantities and the lack

of good post-harvest facilities as the major constraints to the growth of the businesses.

Fruits are having tremendous potential in industrial sector such as cordial, juice; puree

and canned fruit production. Canned jak fruits have good export potential.

Tropical fruit processing has the potential to provide an excellent export opportunity.The forms of processed tropical fruit used in international trade are single strengthjuices (bulk pack), concentrated juices (bulk pack), pulp (bulk pack), frozen slices andpieces (bulk pack) and essences.

The few of tropical fruit cultivation are Banana/ Papaya / Mango / Passion fruit/Pineapple / Rambutan / Wood-apple / Avocado / Grapes / Durian / Pomegranate /Carambola / Amberalla / Sweet Orange / Water Melon / Grape fruit /Guava/Mangosteen / Lime / Lemonime / Beli / Pummelo / Mandarin / Dragon fruit / Jackfruit.
http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1101http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1087http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1099http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1100http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1083http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1098http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1096http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1081http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1089http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1084http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1080http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1078http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1086http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1088http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1094http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1079http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1090http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1093http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1091http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1097http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1085http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1082http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1077http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1095http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1095http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1095http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1095http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1077http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1082http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1085http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1097http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1091http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1093http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1090http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1079http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1094http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1088http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1086http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1078http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1080http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1084http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1089http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1081http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1096http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1098http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1083http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1100http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1099http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1087http://www.agridept.gov.lk/index.php/en/crop-recommendations/1101


22/40



Banana Cultivation(Musa acuminata)

The usages of this fruit are ripe fruit : good source of energy, readily digestible fruituseful for feeding children suffering from diarrhea, useful for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, constipation, arthritis, anemia and allergies. Unripe fruit : Usefulfor urinary tract disorders, obesity, and disorders of menstruation.Export of processed banana as Banana Pulp is one of the principal processed bananaproducts in international trade with estimated sales of 70,000 to 80,000 mt annually.

Although this business is dominated by the multi- national fruit companies. In addition,

there is a significant trade for fried banana chips - a small but rapidly growing business

and quick frozen banana slices.

Land is about 54% are cultivated of the total fruit cultivation extent. At present, Bananaproductivity is about 13 Mt/ha. But, this amount is very low as comparatively withmajor Banana growing countries of the world. However, this production can increaseup to 45-50 Mt/ha by using high yielding variety like Cavendish type (which hashigh demand in the world), practicing with good management system. Therefore, wehave good opportunity to fill this productivity gap & potential to supply are highquality fruits for export market as well as domestic market. Nethranpalam has highdemand & medicinal value in the market.

Use of proper offshoots for planting, adequate spacing, adequate fertilization especiallynitrogen and potassium, control of insects and diseases, good weed control,management of the clump to avoid excess shoots, mechanical support and bagging ofthe bunches are to be focused for better production. Harvest on time, and transport

carefully to reduce bruising and heating, washing and drying, packing in boxes,temperature control during transport, possible ethylene treatment to promote ripening.

The planting at 8ft. x 8ft or 9ft x 9ft spacing was followed. Pit was taken at 1ft x 1ft andsuckers were planted immediately after taking the pit. Removal of side suckers from 2month without affecting the mother plants, by using 6 feet iron rod. Only one wellgrowth side suckers will allow after 8th month for the ratoon.Tissue culture offers a rapid method of multiplication of quality, uniform, pest anddisease free production of planting materials in large quantities in banana. Theproductivity of banana can be increased by cultivation of tissue culture plants of

selected elite ecotypes of different varieties.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musa_acuminatahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musa_acuminata


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Mango Cultivation & Mango Genetic-Plasma Collection (Mangifera indica L.)

The most important aspect of mango plantation is germ plasma collections with severalvarieties of rare mangoes. Especially pure breed Willard, Karthacolomban, VelleiKolomban, Ambalavi and Neelum are extensively can be used for producing the newcultivars.

Planting is usually done in the month of July-August in rain fed areas and duringFebruary-March in irrigated areas. In case of heavy rainfall zones, planting is taken upat the end of rainy season. The planting distance is 10m. x 10m and 12m x 12m in dryand moist zones respectively. Training of plants in the initial stages of growth is veryimportant to give them a proper shape especially in cases where the graft has branchedtoo low.

Intercropping can be taken up till the mango trees attain suitable height and develop

canopy (at 5-6 years of age). Leguminous crops like green gram, black gram, gram etc.,cereals like wheat, oilseeds like mustard, sesame and groundnut, vegetable crops suchas cabbage, cauliflower, tomato, potato, brinjal, cucumber, pumpkin, bitter gourd,ladys finger etc. and spices like chillies can be grown as intercrops. The partial shadeloving crops like pineapple, ginger, turmeric etc. can be cultivated in fully grownorchards. In addition to field crops, some short duration , less exhaustive and dwarftype inter- fillers like papaya, guava, peach, plum etc. can be grown till these do notinterfere with the main mango crop .It is advisable to take vegetable crops as inter cropsfor better returns. Orchard starts bearing from sixth year onwards and the economic lifeof a mango tree exceeds 35 years.

Yield of fruits varies considerably according to the variety, climatic conditions, plantpopulation etc. On an average, the yield ranges from 5 to 9 tons/acre. Grafted plantsstart bearing early.

The post harvest management practices are more important as grading is mainly basedon the size, colour and maturity of the fruits. While grading, smaller fruits are separatedfrom the larger ones in order to achieve uniform ripening. immature, overripe,damaged and diseased fruits are discarded in the process of grading.The fruits are generally harvested early in the season at a pre-mature stage to capture

early market. Such fruits are ripened by uniformly dipping in 750 ppm. ethrel(1.8ml./l.) in hot water at 5220 C for 5 minutes within 4-8 days under ambientconditions. Mature fruits are ripened with lower doses of ethrel for uniform colourdevelopment.The mature green fruits can be stored at room temperature for about 4-10 daysdepending upon the variety. The harvested fruits are pre-cooled to 10-120 C and thenstored at an appropriate temperature.


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Dragon Fruit Plantation(Hylocereus undatus)

Dragon fruit is the fruit of several cactus species. It is native to South and CentralAmerica, belong to perennial epiphytic plant. It can be cultivated low country wet zone,intermediate zone as well as dry zone with the irrigation facilities.

Three type of Dragon fruit species -

Red fruit coat with white flesh Yellow fruit coat with colour flesh Red fruit coat with red flesh

UsesDragon fruit is important as a fruits as well as ornamental plant. Ripen fruits can beused directly to consume. Also it can be used for produce jam, ice cream, jelly, fruit juice as well as wine. Dragon fruit buds can be prepared as a curry.Dragon fruit increases the digesting power of the foods. Also it has ability to controlcancer, diabetics, high cholesterol as well as blood pressure.

The typical nutritional value per 100g of ripen Dragon fruit is as follows-

Nutrition Amount

Water 82.5- 83 g

Protein 0.159- 0.229 g

Fat 0.21- 0.61 g

Fiber 0.7- 0.9 g

Carotene 0.005- 0.012 mg

Calcium 6.3- 8.8 mg

Phosphorus 30.2- 36.1 mg

Iron 0.55- 0.65 mg

Vitamin B 1 0.28- 0.043 mg

Vitamin B 2 0.043- 0.045 mg

Vitamin B 3 0.297- 0.43 mg

Vitamin C 8.0- 9.0 mg

Thaiamin 0.28- 0.30 mg

Riboflavin 0.043- 0.044 mg

Niacin 1.297- 1.30 mg

Ash 0.28 g


25/40



Pineapple Plantation (Ananas comosus)

The potential exists for increasing its cultivation in land of 8000 ha of coconut

plantation. Sri Lankas extent of cultivation is about 4350 ha and producing only 30,000

mt which is not enough to meet the export demand to neighbor county Pakistan.

Cultivation with variety Kew, Red Spanish, and Sugarloaf type will have high potential

and canning in several forms for internal use and for export is possible in the region.The weaknesses of current production system are present industry is at introductorylevel, inadequate supply of planting material, difficulty in getting planting material.

Smooth cayenne is suggested for canning and for export of fresh fruits. Red Spanish

and Sugarloaf are suggested primarily for local fresh market. However, the present

variety Kew is prominent in Sri Lanka.

This plant is slightly tolerant to saline soil. Saline tract can be explored for thiscultivation regardless the fruit quality. The variety Mauricious or Kew can be promotedand new variety for saline tract is to be explored.

Recommended Varieties -1. Cayenne = Smooth cayenne = "Kew" Pineapple2. Queen = "Mauritius"3. Singapore Spanish

Cost of cultivation

Under coconut, single row system, up to first harvestItem (Rs. /ha)

1. Land Preparation 14,000

2. Planting Material (10000 plants) 60,000

3. Pre treatment 4,500

4. Planting (25 man days) 10,000

5. Fertilizer (50 kg x 24 bags) 48,000

6. Weeding 6,000

7. Hormone 4,000

8. Pest & disease control 10,000

9. Harvesting 6,000

10. Others 12,500

Total 175,000


26/40



Jak Fruit Plantation (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

The jak fruit plantation is profitable venture from wood to seed. Several areas are

having jak fruits trees and quality and taste are diverse in nature the varieties grown in

the region are specific. Since potential market for processed and canned product andfruits seeds are exist in ethnic and niche markets outside the country. Hence, promotion

of Jak cultivation with selected export quality varieties will give rise to the occasion of

expanding market to national and global.

Since seedling propagation give variability in characters due to crossing of varieties. Jak

fruit crop should be planted with grafted seedling obtaining scion from the quality and

desirable character fruit trees. Selection of good quality nucleus mother is possible from

the existing trees. Establishment of jak fruits nurseries for production of quality grafted

jak seedlings for re-planting is the strategy for productivity enhancement of export

oriented jak fruits.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Plantation

There is no other fruit crop that has high medicinal value compared to that inpomegranate. The juice of pomegranate is used for pharmaceutical purposes. It is usedfor treating dyspepsia and is considered beneficial in treating leprosy. Because of thetannin content of the bark, leaves, immature fruits and fruit rind are given as astringent

to halt diarrhea, dysentery and hemorrhages. A decoction of the flowers is gargled torelieve oral and throat inflammation.

Commercial plantings should not be established from seed, as too much variability infruit character is likely to occur. Plants can be propagated readily from hardwoodcuttings 15 to 20 cm long. Leave only the uppermost bud exposed at planting.Remember that the plant and fruit eventually produced from a cutting will be identicalwith the parent plant and its fruit. Therefore, only use cuttings from recognized,desirable varieties or selections known to have good cropping characteristics.Fresh fruits of Pomegranate could be used for enjoying at the table. In some countries,the juice is a very popular beverage. In future, fruit juice extraction can be introduced as

a cottage industry in Sri Lanka. Also, extracted juice may be concentrated and frozen forfuture use. It may be made in to thick syrup for use as a sauce. It is also often convertedinto wine.


27/40



Citrus Cultivation (Citrus aurantifoliaspp)

Requirement for lime, orange and mandarin is ever increasing in both domestic andindustrial sector. Lime juice is an essential ingredient in the diet of Sri Lankan. This isan essential fruit for vitamin C supply. Hence lime and orange are cultivated in mostof the homesteads.One of the major weaknesses in the production system is poor tree management andtechnical knowhow. As it is a very delicate plant, rough handling will damage theplant. It is very susceptible to die back disease and other diseases by physical damage.

Planting material is produced by 'T' budding on good stalks like Lime or sour orange.Seedlings are also used in many areas. Nursery beds are prepared on light fertile soils.Selection is done by eliminating weaklings, off types and non uniform seedlings in 2-3stages in the nursery beds. Seedlings may be grown in polythene bags also. Theybecome ready for plantation in the main field after attaining the height of about 30-40cm after one year. Cutting and air layering are done in lemons.

Plant density: Orange: normal spacing - 6 m x 6 m ; Plant population - 275 / ha.Sweet Lime : normal spacing - 5 m x 5 m ; plant population - 400 /ha

Lime/Lemon : Normal spacing - 4.5 m x 4.5 m ; Plant population - 494 /ha

In very light soils, spacing may be 4 m x 4 m. In fertile soils and in high rainfall areasspacing may be 5 m x 5m.The best season of planting is June to August. Pits of the size of 60 cm x 60 cm x 60 cmmay be dug for planting seedlings. 10 kg of FYM and 500 g of superphosphate may beapplied per pit while planting. With good irrigation system, planting may be done inother months also. Leguminous vegetables like cow peas, bean, peas, etc, can be grown

in citrus orchards. Intercropping is advisable only during the initial three years.

In order to allow the growth of a strong trunk, all shoots in the first 40-50 cm fromground level developed in the early stage should be removed. The centre of the plantshould remain open. Branches should be well distributed to all sides. Cross twigs andwater suckers are to be removed early. The bearing trees require little or no pruning. Alldiseased, injured and drooping branches and dead wood are to be removedperiodically for initiating citrus greening.The yield for Orange: Commences from the 4th/5th year with 40/45 fruits per tree.Stabilizes in the 10th year. Average production is about 400-500 fruits per tree afterstabilization.Sweet Orange : Commences from 3rd/4th year with 15 to 20- fruits per tree. Stabilizesaround the 8th year. Average production is about 175-250 fruits per treeLime/Lemon : Commences from the 2nd/3rd year with 50-60 fruits per tree. Stabilizesin the 8th year. Average production is about 700 fruits per tree after stabilization.Economic life of plantation :Orange and sweet Lime - 25 to 30 yearsLime - 15 to 20 years
http://hubpages.com/hub/Grow-Citrus-Trees-from-Pipshttp://nursery-management.blogspot.com/http://french-bean.blogspot.com/http://www.niir.org/books/book_pdf/366/%5BNIIR%5D%20Handbook%20on%20Citrus%20Fruits%20Cultivation%20and%20Oil%20Extraction.pdfhttp://www.niir.org/books/book_pdf/366/%5BNIIR%5D%20Handbook%20on%20Citrus%20Fruits%20Cultivation%20and%20Oil%20Extraction.pdfhttp://french-bean.blogspot.com/http://nursery-management.blogspot.com/http://hubpages.com/hub/Grow-Citrus-Trees-from-Pips


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Guava Cultivation (Psidium guajava L.)

Recommended Varieties -Bangkok Giant, Horana Red, Horana white, Pubudu and Kanthi ( dwarf variety)

Field Establishment Ecological requirements -

Annual rain fall 1000 - 4000 mm

Temperature 23o - 28oC (can tolerate temperatures as high as 45oC)

Elevation1500 - 2000 m - (Suitable for all 3 zones. Dry intermediate andwet zones)

Soil requirements

Sandy to day loamA wide range of pH - 4.5 - 9.0Slight tolerance to salinity & water loggingTolerant to drought

Propagation

Patch budding (commonly used), Modified forkette budding,

shield budding, air layering

Size of planting hole 60 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm Spacing- 4.5 - 5.0 m x 4.5 - 5.0 m

Papaya Cultivation (Carica papaya)

At present the extent of papaya cultivation is 3123 ha. The fruit is used as fresh fruitas well as for other processed products. Ripe fruit : Facilitates digestion, relivesconstipation. Useful in treatment for splenetic, hemorrhoids, skin diseases, gastro

intestinal disorders, hepatic disorders and diseases of upper respiratory tract(throat) Unripe fruit : Proteolysis activity, good source of papa in, used as meattenderizer.

Generally papaya yields throughout the year. However, month following warmtemperature or moisture stress causes skip in production. Papaya is cultivated inSri Lanka primarily as a home garden crop. However, there is limited extent undercommercial scale and this extent is steadily increasing but there is no significantincrease in production. The reasons for these reductions may be due to somedistricts which are infected with virus under wet zone. Kurunegala district is the

highest producer in the country. Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Gampaha, Galle,Anuradapura, Puttalam, Hambanthota and Badulla districts also have higherextents.

There is no marked price fluctuation in wholesale and retail prices except duringApril to June. A considerable quantity of production is lost in the postharvestphase. The highest percentage of postharvest loss is found in papaya (46%)compared to banana and pineapple.


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Passion Fruit Cultivation (Passiflora edulis)

Fresh fruits are cut in half and the succulent pulp is scooped out with a spoon formixing with other fruits in making a salad. The extracted juice is a tasty drink. Thebeauty of passion fruit is that just a little pulp goes a long way. The cake icing, candy icecream, jelly, mousses, sauces, sherbets, syrups and pies are some of the value addedproducts made out of the fruit tender leaves of passion fruit is also consumed as a leafyvegetable.Seed of both forms of passion fruit give about 23% oil similar in properties to eithersunflower or Soya bean oil and is used for domestic and industrial purposes. Acyanogenic glycoside is found in the pulp of all passion fruit but is only at aninsignificant level in the ripened fruit. The glycoside passinorine can also be extractedfrom the dried leaves.Recommended Varieties -Yellow cultivar (Low country)

Purple cultivars (Up country)Australian Varieties (Under tests)

Grape Fruit Orchard (Citrus paradisi Mactad )

The usage of fruit are increases appetite, prevents acidity, laxative, useful in treatmentfor renal , cardiovascular and hepatic disorders. Quinine in grape fruit is helpful toprevent malaria; useful in diarrhea, dysentery, diabetic mellitus, influanza.Major growing areas are wet and intermediate zones, Nature of cultivation for

scattered in home gardensHarvesting & post-harvest technology - Value Added Products - Jam, cordial, syrup.Economics & Marketing Availability May -August

Herbal Plant Cultivation

Aloe Vera is highly demanding herbal plant in the beauty cosmetic industry in SriLanka. Aloe Vera can relieves, heals sun burns, soothes, recovering the skin andprevents dandruff & hair loss. This is good medicine to treat pimples & acne.


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Tissue Culture Laboratory & Nursery Management

Plant tissue culture is a widely used procedure in plant biology in which organism isplanted from the explants of the living plants in a nutrient medium under asepticconditions. There are more advantages of plant tissue culture in commercial set up.

Advantages:- Produce many copies of the same plants then which may be used to produce

plants with better flowers, odors, fruits or any other properties of the plants that arebeneficial to consumers.

- Produce plants anytime we want although the climates are not appropriate toproduce a plant. Moreover, if seed is not available, it is possible to produce a plantwith this method.

- If there is plant with partially infected tissue, it is possible to produce a new plantwithout infection.

-Very helpful in the genetically modified organism studies.

Low cost options can generally be incorporated into the design of the building,laboratories, working areas, layout of equipment, lighting, heating and productionplanning to provide smooth and efficient operations. It is important to select severalplants that provide options for production around the year to allow cash flow andoptimal use of equipment and facilities. It is essential to maintain sufficient mothercultures, and limit the number of subcultures to avoid variation, and plan productionand shipment according to the customers demand. The price of the tissue culturederived plants, tubers, bulbs, and cuttings must be competitive with those obtainedfrom conventional propagation. Many tissue-cultured plants are too expensive for

direct field planting. In such cases, the cost can be reduced by one or more conventionalpropagations of the in vitro plants. The uniformity and consistency in field performanceof tissue-cultured plants is important to build confidence of the farmers.

The planting material requirement of the country grows every year and the lack ofquality material for planting purposes is considered as one of the greatest impedimentfor developing the horticulture industry in Sri Lanka. The nurseries should be cateringto the maintain of plants for our production as well as local demand of plantation cropsand horticultural crops including grafted fruit plants, virus free tissue culture bananaplants, teak, mahogany and jak.


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Consultancy & Extension Service

Our business aim is to bring innovation, latest technology to the farmer and iscommitted in its efforts to enhance farmer income, improve rural economy andcontribute towards the growth of agriculture in Sri Lanka. To further strengthen this

philosophy, we have embarked on Agri-Consultancy a one-stop-shop for investorsseeking professional services in setting up large-scale agri-based enterprises in thecountry.

Our professional service offered to investors who is seeking to establish agribusinessenterprises, in their pursuit in the development of the its own business or any otherventure provide technical assistance from feasibility reports to post harvest technologyfor agriculture enterprises, professional advisory services from enterprisemanagement practices to capacity building programmes, services related to qualityinput supplies from planting materials to greenhouses, all crop production, all

livestock & feeding productions, machineries and agribusiness management aspect.

The Target Group -

Foreign investors seeking to establish Agri-based projects especially in theNorthern and Eastern regions of Sri Lanka.

Local investors seeking to establish Agri-based enterprises in any part of thecountry

The Areas of Service

Agro Forestry, Home Gardening, Paddy, Fruits, Vegetables, Maize, Foliage and Cut-Flowers, Plant Nurseries & Tissue Culture, Aquaculture, Poultry, Diary, SwineManagement, Goat, Food Processing, Land and Enterprise Selection, Soil & WaterTesting, Seed Testing, Pest & Disease Management, Irrigation Systems, ProtectedAgriculture & Greenhouse, Feasibility Studies/Reports, Production Planning,Business Plans, Post-Harvest Technology, Crop Management and AgronomicPractices, Livestock Production and Management Practices, Market Research,Research & Development, Agri Education and Training, Planting Materials (seeds,tissue culture plants, nursery plants), Agro Chemicals, Fertilizers and Compost, Farm

Machinery and Equipment.


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Our Grower Concept / Contract Farming

Out-grower systems should be seen as a partnership between an agro-industrialcompany and farmers. To be successful it requires a long-term commitment from bothparties. Exploitative arrangements by a company are likely to have only a limited

duration and can jeopardize agribusiness investments. Similarly, farmers need toconsider that honoring contractual arrangements is likely to be to their long-termbenefit. It must be stressed that the decision to use the out-grower system modalitymust be commercial.

Contract farming refers to a system whereby a central processing and exporting unitpurchases the harvests of individual farmers, and the terms of the purchase arearranged through contracts. Its a range of initiatives taken by Browns Farm to secureaccess to smallholder produce. The terms of the contract vary and usually specify howmuch produce the contractor will buy and at what price. The contractor often provides

credit inputs and technical advice.

Contracting is a way of allocating the risks between producer and contractor; the farmertakes the risk of production and the contractor the risk of marketing. The basis of sucharrangement is the commitment of the farmer to provide a specific commodity inquantities and at quality standards as determined by the purchaser and thecommitment of the company to support the farmers production and to purchase thecommodity. The intensity of the contractual arrangements varies according to the depthand complexity of the provisions in each of areas.

The advantages for farmer include: markets are secured, agro-industrial firm usuallyprovides inputs and production services, often on credit, out-grower system oftenintroduces new technology and also enables farmers to learn new skills, Farmers pricerisk is often reduced as many contracts specify prices in advance. (pre-planting price),out-grower system opens new markets which would otherwise be unavailable to small-scale farmers, central buying place close to the out-growers.

The advantages for firm are workingwith small-scale farmers overcomesland constraints, purchase is more

reliable and sustainable comparedto an open-market purchase and thecompany faces less risk by not beingresponsible for production, strongbusiness relation can be build upthrough the services, significantquantities can be purchased for meetthe export demand.


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Agri Machinery

The Browns Company is the pioneer in agri machinery sector in Sri Lanka. The corestrength of product range should be exploited to gain maximum sales turnover.

As a business there should be a total solution to farmer for agri-machineries.Furthermore total concept should be created all the products & services under the oneroof. Although these guidelines are aimed at many stakeholders, the central aim is toassist farmers to gain better access to agricultural equipment services in order to createbetter and improved linkages with agro-markets.

The machinery business should be covered following important areas -

Coordination and build strong personal relations with all stakeholders Demand creation with appropriate marketing & promotion campaigns Synergistic associations with other commercial agri-business companies Consisting machinery testing program with Farm Mechanization Research Centre at

Department of Agriculture in MahaIllupplama Maintain quality standard and improved business management Staff training on new machineries & technology Attainment of maximum competitive advantage through each & every activity Start machinery hiring services for farmers Reap the advantages of tax relief on machinery and materials Collaborating with Farm Mechanization Training Centre for training & developments Provide quality extension services Establish fully equipped machinery workshop & service centre

Formation of Browns farmer societies

The basic technology of agricultural machines has changed little in the last decade.However, technology is changing the way that humans operate the machines, ascomputer monitoring systems, GPS locators, and self-steer programs allow the mostadvanced tractors and implements to be more precise and less wasteful in the use offuel, seed, or fertilizer. In the foreseeable future, some agricultural machines will becapable of driving themselves, using GPS maps and electronic sensors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maphttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Electronic_sensor&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Electronic_sensor&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer


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Agro Tourism

The concept of Agrotourism is a direct expansion of ecotourism, which encouragesvisitors to experience agricultural life at first hand. Agrotourism is gathering strong

support from small communities as rural people have realized the benefits ofsustainable development brought about by similar forms of nature travel. Visitors have

the opportunity to work in the fields alongside real farmers.

In recent times there has been a tremendous increase in the interest surrounding theconcept of agro tourism, and Sri Lanka is no exception to it. Sri Lankas complex paddycultivation systems (developed over the course of 2500 years), huge ancient irrigationaltanks and many tea and rubber plantations are examples of its diverse agriculturaldevelopments and agro tourism will be catering to a niche market of agro tourists.

There are a range of other forms of rural tourism which are part of agrotourism in the

strict sense - e.g. ethnotourism, project tourism, health tourism, historical tourism,cultural tourism or adventure tourism. The agrotourism main activities can becorporate with total agriculture plantations and its derivatives activates.

The tour map is staring from agroforestry, paddy cultivation, organic farming, mangocultivation, vegetable garden, machinery yard, grain and legume cultivation, sunset &tanks, seed processing unit, banana cultivation, plant nursery, livestock production,home garden, compost production and herbal garden etc.

Agro Meditation Center The open up new meditation center with closely utilizing the crop cultivations and its

natural impression is suitable for this new concept.The benefits of agro meditation are not purely religious. Scientific studies reveal that therelaxation, concentration and maintenance of a self-observing attitude help altermetabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and brain chemistry. Many patientssuffering from stress and pain have turned to meditation to obtain relief.

Spice garden and herbal garden are demanding sites for europium and middle- eastforeigners.

spiece

spiece
http://www.ecotourdirectory.com/nature-travel.htmhttp://www.ecotourdirectory.com/nature-travel.htm


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Browns Agriculture Technology & Management College

Browns Agriculture Training College is established to improve the knowledge ofpractical aspects of agriculture and entrepreneurial management of agri-business. Thetarget groups are poor farmers, commercial farmers, agriculture students and those

who any of seek to earn a living by means of self-employment in agriculture

Objectives

Empower the community with agriculture and open up new employments Ensure the self sustainability of county Improve agricultural production at productive manner Promote new technology of modern agriculture

Area of Specialization Course out line

Agriculture Business Agro forestryHome gardeningOrganic fertilizer businessVegetable productionFruit productionGreen house managementLivestock production

Crop production

Farm Machinery Operation and detail of tractorsOperation of harvestersUsage of other implements

Vegetable Production Cash crop cultivation aspects

Field crop production Paddy cultivationMaize cultivation

Floriculture Ornamental and foliage plants and cut-flowers production

Fruit production Growing banana / papaw / mango /oranges & other fruits


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Livestock Development Poultry managementCattle & dairy productionSwine managementAquaculture

Goat management

Special Events -

The special product demonstrations for farmers, university / technical / schoolstudents, lecturers/teachers, Agribusiness entrepreneurs, Agriculturepromotion/extension officers, People in management positions and other generalpublic.

Agri machinery library and agriculture book collection

Opportunity for comprehensive machinery training on specialized areas such asservice, maintenance, mechanical, driving & operation, spare parts, trouble shooting.Introducing new concepts and ideas of modern technology of machines

Re-establish the Browns Tractor Training Center with day courses, short term and longterm courses with full equipped training center in Sri Lanka

Invite to all agri universities and agri schools students for free training classes on aboutmachineries

Maintain full equipped tractor workshop for paid repairs and maintain original spareparts inventory. Introducing learners with spare parts and functions of farmmachineries

Start the farm machinery research & development programs with collaborating FMRC& FMTC, INGOs, NGOs & other government institutes

Integrated product & service promotion and other related activities

Facilitators The resource person are industry specialized lecturers, government

officers, agriculture instructors and specialized field officers are conducting the courseson base on the requirements.


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Browns Agriculture Technology Park

Our Agriculture Technology Park is the first time in Sri Lanka open up for experience ofreal natures paradise. This is a visitor friendly park which offers more than just any

other parks. With its affinity to nature, the park is covered against a background oftruly natural landscape with lush greenery of the plantation which creates a picture of abeautiful natural park all around. This park is knowledge oriented and recreational. Thepark also provides an ideal environment for nature-based activities that makes this parka worthy holiday destination. This is an excellent base to expand your knowledge onthe taxonomy of plants that fits your taste and needs as well as the perfect escape fromurban noise and pollution. The special area of the park consist of ;

Agriculture Machinery Museum Living Crop Museum

Native Orchid Centre

Bee Centre Germplasm Collection Ornamental Garden Fruit Garden Evolution Garden Agro-forestry Lake plants & aquaculture Animal Park Traditional village

Techno Model Fram

The agri-machinery museum exhibits all the machineries collection and era ofgenerations such as;

Cultivator, Mulch tiller, Harrow, Spike harrow, Drag harrow, Disk harrow, Plow(or plough), Power tiller, Rotary tiller, Rototiller, Spading machine, Subsoiler,tractor, Stone picker, rock rake, Rotavator, Destoner, Bedtiller, Ridger, Roller,Broadcast seeder, Planter, Potato planter, Seed drill, Air seeder, Precision drill,Transplanter, Rice transplanter, Fertilizer spreader, Terragator, Liquidmanure/slurry spreader (slurry tanker), Manure spreader, Sprayer, Slurry

agitator, Drip irrigation, Hydroponics, Weight sorter, Color sorter, Blemish sorter,diameter sorter, Shape sorter, Density Sorter, Internal/taste sorter, tomatoHarvester, Bean harvester, Cane harvester, Carrot harvester, Combine harvester,Conveyor belt, Corn harvester,Cotton picker, Fanning mill,Forage harvester (orsilage harvester), Grain cleaner, Grain dryer, Gravity wagon, Potato spinner/digger, Potato harvester, Rice huller,Sickle, Silage trailer, Winnower, Hay rake,Mower, Grain auger, Feed grinder, Bale trailer, Reaper etc.
http://www.sabah.net.my/agripark/living_crop_museum.htmlhttp://www.sabah.net.my/agripark/native_orchid_centre.htmlhttp://www.sabah.net.my/agripark/bee_centre.htmlhttp://www.sabah.net.my/agripark/germplasm_collection.htmlhttp://www.sabah.net.my/agripark/ornamental_garden.htmlhttp://www.sabah.net.my/agripark/hoya_garden.htmlhttp://www.sabah.net.my/agripark/evolution_garden.htmlhttp://www.sabah.net.my/agripark/agro_forestry.htmlhttp://www.sabah.net.my/agripark/lake_sapong.htmlhttp://www.sabah.net.my/agripark/animal_park.htmlhttp://www.sabah.net.my/agripark/jungle_trekking.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultivatorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mulch_tiller&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrow_(tool)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike_harrowhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_harrowhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_harrowhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plowhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_tillerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_tillerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rototillerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spading_machine&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsoilerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-wheel_tractorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-wheel_tractorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_pickerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotavatorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destonerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bedtiller&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ridger&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roller_(agricultural_tool)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcast_seederhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planter_(farm_implement)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed_drillhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Air_seeder&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Precision_drill&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transplanterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_transplanterhttp://en.wikipedia.org

the way forward- browns farms-by harindu lorensu hewa

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