PS Chairman wins best home garden competition

Sumathipala Deeyagahage, Southern Province Roving correspondent

In the home garden cultivation competition among the all Island public representatives conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture under the Api Wawamu Rata Nagamu programme, the home garden of Habaraduwa Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Bandupala Abeykoon has been selected as the best home garden cultivator in the Southern Province.

It was placed first at the Divisional Secretariat as well as district levels. This home garden is situated in the Meliyagoda Grama Niladhari division in Ahangama within the Habaraduwa Divisional Secretariat area. This home garden includes permanent cultivations such as jak, nadun and mahogany as well as long term cultivation such as mangoes, rambutan and king coconut.

Vegetables such as ladies fingers, long beans, ridge gourd, snake gourd, capsicum and tomatoes, all leafy vegetables and fruits are also grown in it. An apiary has also been set up with a beehive at one corner of the home garden to collect bees honey. Anybody visiting this home garden will be amazed at the systematic manner in which it is kept.

Bandupala Abeykoon recounting his success said, the food growing campaign initiated on a concept of President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a timely necessity towards self-sufficiency. The participation of people's representatives is also an important aspect in this campaign. My home garden has an extent of 19 perches. When I bought this piece of land 14 years ago it was a fallow land. I had to fill the land to prepare it for cultivation. I don't use chemical fertiliser for cultivation.

I always use organic fertiliser. I never buy vegetables and fruits for my household needs. All my needs are obtained from this home garden. In fact, I get a deep sense of satisfaction from the effort I made towards making my home garden a success.

We all should assist the cultivation campaign of the President specially as politicians we should set an example to others by participating in ventures like this. I followed the instructions given to me by the Agricultural Instructor of Ahangama Aruna Piyasiri and the Agricultural Research Assistant H.T. Gamini. I was also largely helped by my wife and children.