The Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries has made arrangements to cultivate the third crop season or an intermediate season of Green gram cultivation in Ipanella immediately after the harvest of the 2024 yala season.
According to this, 25 kg of green gram seeds per hectare will be given to the farmers free of charge and for this, the Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries will spend 25,000 rupees per farmer.
Plans have been made to cultivate 63,750 acres of Green gram in this intermediate season. Accordingly, 40,000 acres under irrigation, 16,250 acres under Mahaweli and 7,500 acres under inter-provincials are planned to be cultivated.
At present, the annual requirement of Green gram in our country is 20,000 metric tons. The Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industry, Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera said that by cultivating Green gram in this intermediate season, it will be possible to make the country self-sufficient in Green gram this year.
So far, about 15,000 metric tons of the country’s annual Green gram requirements have been produced in our country and about 5,000 metric tons have been imported.
Also, the Minister instructed the Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Janaka Dharmakeerthi, to provide the necessary financial allocations through the Farmers’ Trust Fund for the expansion of Green gram cultivation in Ipanella this intermediate crop season.
As identified by the Department of Agriculture, the districts with the highest potential for Green gram cultivation in the country are Hambantota, Monaragala and Ampara districts. Green gram can be grown in other districts too, but the above mentioned districts are most suitable for Green gram in ipanella cultivation.