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Going organic: Farmer Wickramasinghe sets an example
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Using organic fertiliser has achieved dramatic progress in onion cultivation at Galkiriyagama in the Anuradhapura district. Pic by Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa
Moving to organic agriculture as an alternative tool to address the shortage of chemical fertiliser for cultivation practices has achieved dramatic progress in onion cultivation at Galkiriyagama in the Anuradhapura district.
The growth of organic fertiliser has been accomplished by J. M. K. Wickramasinghe, a farmer from the Galkiriyagama Kuda Elagamuwa area. He now uses 100% organic fertiliser.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Mr Wickramasinghe said with the great demand for the chemical fertiliser in the country, it was not easy for him to move to organic fertiliser.
In addition to local onion cultivation, he also cultivated turmeric and ginger with 100% organic fertiliser.
The farmer said that by using organic fertiliser the quality of the crops had also improved.
He said the organic fertiliser was made with affordable, local raw material.
The farmer said that unlike chemical fertiliser it would take a longer time to cultivate crops with organic fertiliser, but the quality would be better and the cost less.
Madatugama Mahaweli Authority officials are taking Mr. Wickramasinghe’s case as an example to educate and train other farmers on how to make and use organic fertiliser.