July 21, Colombo (LNW): The Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries has launched an initiative to cultivate green gram in Ipanella immediately following the 2024 Yala season harvest.
Under this scheme, farmers will receive 25 kilograms of green gram seeds per hectare at no cost.
The Ministry will allocate Rs. 25,000 per farmer for this purpose.
The plan includes cultivating 63,750 acres of green gram during this intermediate season.
This breaks down into 40,000 acres of irrigated land, 16,250 acres under the Mahaweli scheme, and 7,500 acres across inter-provincial areas.
Currently, the annual demand for green gram in Sri Lanka stands at 20,000 metric tons.
Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera expressed confidence that this initiative will help the country achieve self-sufficiency in green gram this year.
At present, domestic production meets approximately 15,000 metric tons of the annual requirement, with an additional 5,000 metric tons imported.
Amaraweera also directed the Ministry Secretary, Janaka Dharmakeerthi, to secure necessary funding through the Farmers’ Trust Fund to support the expansion of green gram cultivation in Ipanella during this intermediate season.
The Department of Agriculture has identified Hambantota, Monaragala, and Ampara districts as having the highest potential for green gram cultivation.
Although green gram can be grown in other districts, these areas are particularly well-suited for Ipanella cultivation.
