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Once
grown in home gardens, ayurvedic ginger is fast becoming a profitable
commercial crop Formerly a
home-garden crop, ginger is now being successfully grown for the
commercial market. Ginger is usually grown under the 'inter cropping'
system, in the shade of coconut trees or in former rubber cultivations.
However, the large demand for ayurvedic ginger is not being met,
as it is not yet grown in bulk, due to certain constraints. The cultivation
of ginger must be done under the crop rotation system, hence much
bare land is necessary. Ginger is also prone to many fungal, worm
and bacterial diseases, thus, good agricultural practices and expertise
are vital. Moisture is also a compulsory ingredient for the healthy
growth of the yam. Kegalle Plantations
Ltd., owned and managed by RPK Management Services (Pvt) Ltd., a
joint venture by John Keells Holdings and Richard Peiris & Co.
has been cultivating local ginger on a commercial basis since 1996,
and is one of the few companies to do so. The planting
season begins in January-February and a month later comes the first
application of the MPK mixture (fertilizer). This is repeated in
1 1/2 month intervals with 3-4 more applications being made. From
around September the plants are left to complete their growth. The right amount
of shade, moisture and PH level too must be maintained for the plant
to obtain maximum yield, which could be 10-12 times its original
weight. At Eadella Estate, ginger is grown beneath the shade of
coconut trees, says the Superintendent. Ginger is usually sliced
and dried to provide high quality ginger as the less water in the
ginger the better it is. At Etna Estate, however, the ginger is
grown in the open, in tiers, downhill. This method too seems to
be quite successful as they have a 1:10 ratio of yield annually.
A covering made of hay, coir dust or coconut leaves ensures shade
with hay at both Etna and Eadella being easy to obtain. Eadella and Udapola Estates, Polgahawela and Etna Estate, Warakapola are the three estates that cultivate ginger under Kegalle Plantations. They each have plots of 1ha, 1ha and 2ha respectively. Ginger cultivation is one of many crops like banana and rambutan that fall under the Diversification Programme (Green House) conducted by the Group. The RPK Group hope to extend their ginger cultivation to up to 10ha (25 acres) in the near future, said the Director, Operations of Kegalle Plantations. |
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