• No chemical fertilizer or any kind of agro chemicals used 

By Indika Aruna Kumara and |Kanchana Kumara  

Vegetable cultivators in the Matale District who switched to organic fertilizer under the government’s bio-agriculture programme have reaped a bumper harvest this year. The farmers said the crop failures caused by pests were not experienced as in the past after switching to organic fertilizer.  

Farmers in Naula and Arangala areas who cultivated Knol Kol using organic fertilizer could reap an unprecedented bumper harvest this year.   

One such farmer, Y.G. Somapala said the growers did not use any chemical fertilizer or any kind of agro chemicals, but strictly adhered to the instructions on the use of organic fertilizer and organically derived pesticides.  
He rubbished the misconception that hybrid seeds could not be cultivated with organic fertilizer.  
However, they expressed concern for want of a renumerative market at the Economic Centres for vegetables cultivated using organic fertilizer.  

Meanwhile, several vegetable cultivators in Naula said they had a high yield by cultivating upcountry vegetables with organic fertilizer alone. They pointed out that they cultivated Knol Kol with imported seeds and had a high yield. They said they used only organic fertilizer. However, they had a grievance that they were facing hardship for want of a remunerative market for Knol Khol of which the wholesale price had reduced to Rs.25 a kilo.  

• Farmers said that crop failures caused by pests were not experienced as in the past after switching to organic fertilizer