UNIÓN DEL TIPO ABIERTO
4. ADECUADA FIJACIÓN DE LA TUBERÍA
6.7.1 Fertilizers and emicals
The study revealed that fertilizers and agro-chemicals are widely available in the project area. The ago-chemical companies have organized demonstrations and launched advisory services in addition to the supply of inputs. Still, the farmers’ knowledge about standard recommendations pertaining to time of application, frequency, mixing ratio, threshold value and precautionary techniques is not satisfactory.
The farmers have mentioned the high the low quality, the lack of advisory services and unavailability of inputs as constraints with respect to the use of fertilizers and agro- chemicals. Half of the farmers considers the prices as too high which results in the application of lower quantities than recommended or avoiding to use these inputs altogether. The fact that farmers named lack of advisory services as major constraint could have been anticipated since the extension-farmer contacts were reduced with the removal of the Village Extension Workers.
6.7.2 Agricultural Extension and Training
As the project identified agricultural extension as one of the key elements responsible for the expansion of agricultural and because this service was required for the crop diversification program, effort:; were made to establish an extension network under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture. The concept of a Training Visit system was introduced with bi-weekly training programs for Agricultural Instructors and Village Extension during two seasons. The knowledge transfer and backward information flow were expected to occur through the visits made to Contact Farmers and through frequent between the Follower Farmers and the Contact Farmers. However, at present the bi-weekly training sessions and the farm visits are not implemented as the Village Extension Workers are not attached to the Department of Agriculture any more. removal of these grass-root level extension workers from the extension frame work with the introduction of the Provincial Council system has disturbed the extension efforts of the Department of Agriculture severely. While investigating the frequency of visits made, it became clear that only 4 percent of the farmers have received one visit every month, whereas 45 percent had only one visit per season. The remaining 51 percent had not any extension contact during the last season.
6.7.3 Agricultural Research
The Department of Agriculture executed research programs through one of its Regional Centers, Angunakolapelessa. A separate Adaptive Research Station has been established at This station facilitated adaptive research, on-farm trails, demonstration plots water management, input use, etc. The rice sub-station at Ambalantota provided research facilities for paddy. The study revealed that approximately 80 percent of the farmers were aware that research progr were undertaken. Moreover, 16 percent of
the farmers reported that research were launched on salinity problems. Institutional Credit and Insurance
In principal 76 percent of the farmers access to institutional credit. But generally, farmers feel that non-institutional credit can be obtained more easily. Although the private money lenders' interest rates were very high, farmers are more inclined towards these sources of credit as they can avoid the formal application submission, approvals and delays.
Institutional credit facilities were granted for short-term crops at an interest rate of 9.5 percent per annum and farmers had to the full amount at the end of the cropping season. Medium term loans were given for purchasing tractors and other farm equipment. Such loans were granted at 12.5 percent interest per annum and the repayment period was 3
-
5 years. In loan recovery rates were satisfactory.However, during adverse seasons farmers were often unable to settle their loans. As farmers experienced many adverse seasons in a series, they were unable
to
settle their institutional credit. Therefore, non-institutional borrowing increased during the past period.The crop insurance scheme was introduced by the Agricultural Insurance Board. Agricultural insurance was compulsory in the credit schemes and often the cost of insurance was included in the loan. insurance payments were pre-determined by the
extent of damage with a ceiling per ha. for paddy and Rs.
per ha. for crops. crop insurance scheme has encouraged farmers
to adopt new crops, new agricultural techniques and cropping patterns with greater confidence.
The present study indicates that only 55 percent of the farmers in the project area have contributed to the crop insurance Factors for non-participation were too low income, no confidence in the scheme, not having received enough benefits
in
past seasons and not having obtained adequate information.6.7.5 Agricultural
At the inception of the project the Paddy Marketing Board and cooperatives were the
main buyers of paddy and OFCs a guaranteed price scheme for paddy and a
floor price scheme for OFCs. As government has oriented its policy towards the private sector these marketing institutions and these price schemes are not operating effectively. In fact, it seems that the marketing is completely controlled by private dealers.
Prices for paddy as well as OFCs considerably during the harvesting periods and this proved to be particularly problematic for the latter crops. The absence of floor prices for OFCs caused significant fluctuations. In addition to a limited access to market information, these factors adversely affected the crop diversification program as introduced by the project.
CHAPTER 7
LIVESTOCX DEVELOPMENT