To win cultivation war:

One million home garden program

Ariya RUBASINGHE

As per a report published recently the history’s highest price for vegetables has been recorded on February 6 at Dambulla Economic Centre. All varieties of vegetables on this day have been sold over Rs 300 per kg and only 14 vegetable lorries have come to Dambulla on this day.

Can we avoid this situation... Do we have short-term or long-term solutions for this problem? Especially prevention of devastations caused by the elements of nature such as flood and storms are an impossible task.

However, if we have some premeditated plans we could minimize the damages. But the devastations caused to about 300,000 acres of paddy land by the recent floods is something which cannot be prevented with premonition.

Floods occur without any pre-warning and without any limitation. Not only the paddy fields but other crops have also been destroyed on a large scale by the heavy rains and the floods.

Vegetable prices

In concurrence with this destruction the skyrocketing of vegetables not only in Dambulla but in other places too cannot be prevented. But if there were arrangements to develop and protect crops in highlands and areas that are not affected by the floods, this predicament could have been minimized. The question is that even in areas that were not affected by floods there were no reduction in vegetable prices.

As floods, landslides, earthslips, storms, drought and even tsunamis could occur in the future as well, expeditious solutions should be sought to the food crises that take place in concurrence with these disasters.

Let’s grow our own things

“Mother will come soon....

After picking vegetables...”

Inata Pala Nela Gene

Ei Amma Vigasakine

This lullaby sung by the sister soothing her little brother tells the story of a mother who had gone to the field, or the oasis to bring food items. This is a clear view of the life pattern of our villagers in the past.

The villagers who consumed vegetables freely grown around their hamlets and sweet potatoes, maniocs and other varieties yams in the past were in fact very healthy people.

They faced the natural disasters those days due to their practical and simple methods of consuming the food grown in their own yards.

Hanger and the Court - Atuwa - Kotuwa

In the past, in all village houses we know had a firewood hearth inside the house and a hanger made of wood or by coir at arm’s reach hanging above the hearth. The hanger was a storage full of items such as rice, kurakkan and other pulses, dry breadfruit slices, dry jak slices, dry chilli, Goraka, spices, pepper, arecanut and other food items. The hanger which was seen in the low country areas was similar to the paddy patch in the Raja Rata and the pettagam in the upcountry. Don’t these things applicable today...? It should be explored whether we could find solutions to all problems such as food scarcity and natural disasters through these methods.

Even today we can find in villages plenty of ripe and decayed breadfruits lying under the trees. It is the same in process. No machinery is required for this exercise. After boiling the breadfruit it is sliced and dried in the sun then it is stored in the hanger. It is same in the case of Jak slices as well.

Village economy - Homeyard and the Oasis in the past Owita

In the olden days the villagers went to the towns or markets only to buy tobacco and cigar. Also they went to buy items such as sugar and dhal which were luxury items during that time but it has become essential items nowadays. In the villages there was a home-yard or a nearby oasis. The farmer who was the chief of the household during the times there were no paddy farming used to cultivate yams and vegetables in his home yard or in the nearby oasis mainly for their personal use and to sell the excess to make some money. The whole family’s participation in this cultivation activities provided them leisure, exercise as well as a healthy life.

In addition to these there were production of Kithul or coconut toddy. They earned an additional income by making jaggery out of this fermentation. The toddy tapper in the village also got a self-employment from this exercise. With the deviation from this agricultural life pattern the life standards of all the people subjected to many changes. Instead of the mother bringing vegetable from her own homeyard, mothers bring 250 grams of vegetable in a silisili bag emerged.

Malnutrition

As malnutrition in the country increased several new problems arose about the nutritious status. Since the nutritious status of the family did not develop under-developed children who are physically not compatible with their age could be seen abundantly among the low-income families.

Infusion of poison in bodies

The food pattern directly affects the nutritious status of anyone. Obesity is rampant among the urbanite population. It paves the way for diabetes. It is a fact we all are aware of the food being consumed by the urban population is contaminated with various kinds of chemicals. Therefore, do not the urbanites who consume as food not the things that are required but the things that can be obtained have any other alternative? To be continued

Courtesy: Media Centre for National Development