Parachute system to cultivate paddy fields: Amaraweera

"New cultivation methods have been introduced to cultivate 13,000 acres of paddy fields under the parachute system to increase the yield of paddy in our country," Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.

While addressing a discussion held at the Ministry, he said the parachute cultivation method is a very successful rice cultivation method being used in China. The farmers of our country still do not have a proper understanding of this method. 

Therefore, the minister instructed the Agriculture Department to take all measures to introduce the new system of cultivation.

Rs. 400 million will be allocated to cultivate 13,000 acres of paddy fields under the parachute system, and it is also being considered to start a scheme of providing free nursery plates to all paddy farmers within this year.

In order to increase the yield from paddy cultivation, it is possible to increase the current yield of paddy per acre and increase the income of a farmer by Rs. 35,000 per acre.

"This rice cultivation method is successful in all respects due to reducing the amount spent on traditional rice cultivation, reducing the amount spent on fertilizers, and the cost of using herbicides for weed control, and being able to get a high yield from an acre. "Parachute paddy cultivation requires about 350 paddy nursery trays per acre," Minister Amaraweera said.

He also mentioned that the government is focusing on providing parachute nursery trays to all farmers in the next Maha season in this year to expand the parachute system to our country's paddy cultivation. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)