Climate chaos:

Changing climate for Rambutan in Malwana

Wasantha RAMANAYAKE

Once, Bibile was famous for the goodness of 'Peni Dodam,' or oranges, just as apple-like big pears for Nuwaraeliya prior to the 1978 hurricane. Would the fate of gleaming red or yellow Rambutan in Malwana be similar?

Yes, probably, it could be a matter of few more years before growers in Malwana would get rid of the fruit loved by all, giving back coconut and rubber their due places. These growers had removed coconut and rubber trees in their gardens and planted bud Rambutan saplings of 'Malwana' variety in 1980s.

"Many Rambutan growers are seriously thinking of planting coconut or rubber uprooting Rambutan trees," says E. A. Suraweera Perera (75), Malwana, a Rambutan grower disappointed by the continuous crop failures over the recent years, mainly due to the changes in the climate during past few years.

Back to coconut and rubber

"Rambutan could guarantee no future for us. A proper Rambutan season did not come for several years. There is only one season per year and when that fails, we are ruined," Pathirana another small scale grower lamented. "If this year's crop fails we'll have to wait for the next year or the next but a coconut tree could give us at least some coconuts for every two months," Pathirana expressed his concern.

Amis Perera Jayathilake (85) of Kalukondayawa is a Rambutan grower who counts 35 years of experience in Rambutan growing. He is taking care of 135 Rambutan trees with his son Upali. "One day we might cut those threes and grow coconut or rubber again," added Amis Perera agreeing with the common sentiments expressed by Rambutan growers in the area.

"When we were children there is only one Rambutan season that had come timely. But now it is different. The season never begins on time and the climate has been topsy-turvy," says Amis Perera.

He pointed out that the last year, 2008, was full of rain and trees did not bear fruits since the essential dry spell in February and the March for flowering was replaced by heavy rain. What if the season would not come as expected, came before the time or delayed? The results then, would not be better than not. "The fruits bear in the off season would be smaller, they would be more susceptible to fungus and pets' attacks; bats and birds would frequent the trees since during the off season there is a dearth of all kinds of fruits. "Even the buyers would not come as there are not any festivals where they could sell Rambutans.

The Rambutan harvesting season from May to July coincides with the festivities of Vesak, Poson and Esala."

According to his 38 year old daughter-in-law they had not have a proper Rambutan season after 2004.

Happy days

The saga of Rambutan cultivation in Malwana in the Western Province began in 1980s with the introduction of the 'Malwana Special', a red and gleaming yellow big variety of Rambutan that made Malwana famous among the lovers of this fruit. This was the first budded variety to be introduced in the area, where un-budded varieties, according to Amis Perera, were flourishing before the advent of the budded variety. These un-budded varieties used to give a very good yield and were virtually disease-free and healthy, says Amis Perera. He recollects those golden days; "A man came in his bullock cart wanted to buy my fruits. Believe me there were more than 30,000 fruits in just two trees of mine." Yes, it's simply unbelievable!

Indeed, the growers had their good times. The Earth had been pleased with him as well as other growers granting them a bountiful harvest.

But now they are having the bad dream. Sadly enough it is not something of their- own doing. The change in the climate and the weather patterns due to the rising of earth's temperature or the global warming are having their toll.

Although old Amis Perera is healthy, there is a sense of disappointment in his tone; the Rambutan had disappointed him just as other growers in the area.

Throughout the last year there it had been raining and the rains suddenly stopped in December that triggered some trees to flower. This early start had worried him, because it meant more troubles to follow. He had showed us round his garden; some trees had green tender fruits while some had flowers, but some trees had been wandering about the climate weather to flower or not just as their growers. "When there is excessive rain, the fruits fall down. Rambutan is sensitive to the weather. If there is hot sun during flowering period without moisture in the ground, flowers would be burnt," he explained.

Suraweera Perera is a small scale grower who has around 25 trees. He too had started growing Rambutan in 1980s. He too worried about this year's crop. "In 2008 there were no fruits. This time the rain did not come on time. Now, there were ripe fruits, some have un-matured green fruits. Some trees started flowering after the two spells of rain at the end of January."

Rockets piercing ozone layer

He was expecting the rain to come on the full moon day; if not for these new flowers too would be withered. In the past there used to have nine spells of rain during February and therefore the month is called Navam Maha, he explained. "But the climate had been changed and there was no balance that is why throughout the last year we had rain," he explained. "They say that the ozone layer had been pierced, and the rich countries should be responsible for these changes in the climate." The idea he had about the man made climate change was that rockets launched by the US and other rich countries had injured the ozone layer triggering climate changes, before the phenomenon, caused by the emission of green house gases by the fossil fuel burning, was explained to him.

He says that as every thing else, the air has been polluted and attributed the wide spread fungal diseases ruining their Rambutan harvest, to the air pollution. The recommended fungicide was sulfur but the poor growers could not afford to rent a power sprayer to spray it to the large trees. "It is useless only for me to spray it, if my neighbour could not afford to do so, as the disease would catch mine again."

"The last year we did not have the usual climate, it had been raining and there were new tender leaves coming out instead of the flowers. It is not the weather we used to have," he emphasized.

The future

"I do not think things would be alright in the future. No one can predict whether it would rain or not. Does monsoon come on time?" he questioned. In 2007, there were 'pockets' in the fruits, the fruits become flat; unfilled the seed is without the flesh, this could be due to the weather and the poor soil. In 2008 there was no season at all. This time too there is not a proper season since what is left is affected with the fungal disease.

N.R.S.K. Silva (43) of Hettiyawatte, Pahala Mapitigama is a large scale Rambutan grower and one of the few exporters in the area. He has 435 trees and waters his plantation during the dry period with water pumped from a small tank close to the river. Silva says that the climate is very basic to the Rambutan trees which could not tolerate heavy rain or longer dry periods. During the heavy rain he had lost some trees; the trees had died leaving only the naked branches.

"Rambutan tree is stimulated only by the sunlight and rain; therefore, timely rain and dry period are very important for flowering," he expressed his belief.

He too agrees that the changes in the climate in recent past had been chaotic and made it difficult for the growers.

"There were more failures than successes; in 2001 there was a dry spell during September and October; as a result flowers came out and had early season of fruits in January and February in 2002. "Having fruits outside the normal season is called 'Avarayak' and that was what we had in early 2002."

They were unfortunate not to have a season in 2003. This was followed by a poor season in 2005. In 2008 it had been raining throughout the year without any fruits followed by this year's irregular flowering pattern owing to the unexpected changes in the climate.

"In each of these years changes in the climate had been responsible for the poor quality and the quantity of fruit harvest," he commented. Being a large scale grower targeting foreign markets, he hires labour and machinery. Then he would be hard hit when his cultivation failed to deliver its goods. Silva too is become a pessimist just as the other growers when it comes to the future of the climate changes.

They sense the changes in the climate are getting worse each passing year. They are the people who struggle with all the oddities of climate and bear its brunt and need sound advice from relevant authorities before Malwana loses its prestige of 'Malwana Special,' and, certainly, the growers of their livelihood.

(The article was written under the aegis of CSE Media Fellowships)