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Nuwara Eliya weather shines for apples
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Environmentalists and agriculture experts believe that the present weather conditions in Nuwara Eliya and surrounding areas are favourable for the cultivation of apples, oranges and many other fruits.
Their optimism comes amid Government moves to restrict the import of fruits such as apples, grapes and pears for a limited period as part of measures to maintain the rupee’s stability. Moves are underway to encourage the local production of several imported food items.
Agriculture officials are of the opinion that immediate attention should be paid to the cultivation of fruits such as apples and oranges in the Up-Country when the whether conditions are favourable.
They point out that apple cultivation had been successfully carried out at Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya district for many years in the 1960s before it was given up. Even today in certain home gardens in Ragala, apple is grown successfully.
Nuwara Eliya was also once famous for its pears before the cultivation was destroyed in the 1978 cyclone. Agriculture officials’ efforts to revive it since then have not borne fruit.
Pix by Shelton Hettiaarachchi