Maize,Soyabens, and Other Grains

The paddy, other Grains and pulses production/Promotion team undertook several field programmes for the promotion of maize, soybeans etc. and were able to achieve commendable results during 1997. This included the encouragement of and facilitation of Farmer companies to supply these grains to the ‘’Thriposha’’ Project of the Ministry of Health. Under this arrangement the Huruluwewa Farmer Company supplied MT 700 of soya beans in 1996 to the Project. This arrangement has been expanded to supply MT 4000 of maize and MT3600 of soybeans to the ‘’Thriposha’’ in 1998 by two Farmer companies of Huruluwewa and Dambulla jointly. These Farmer companies have commenced demonstration plots to grow sorghum, pigeonpea and sun flower as well.
Maize is becoming an increasingly important crop in he Lowland cropping systems as well as in the Uplands. It is reported that in 1995 Sri lanka produced 66,500mt which has now declined to approximately 38,999mt
Maize can be considered both as supplementary food source for both low income families in the country as well as feed source for the livestock sector. Where it contributes 30-35 per cent of the livestock feed formulation. Furthermore, it is also becoming and increasingly important crop, as boiled green cobs which has become popular with the urban population as well

With the increasing development of the livestock sector a large quantity of maize is presently being imported which well have to be produced locally. In 1994 a total of 84,824mt of maize worth Rs.587. million was imported and in 1995 the quantity imported was 80,058mt worth Rs.635 million.
The average maize yield is 1408 kg per ha. (Maha-rainfed) which the Department of Agriculture intends to increase to 2260 kg. per Ha by the year 2005 through the process of introducing appropriate technologies to farmers. At the same time it is intended to increase the average yield of maize during the Yala season with supplementary irrigation to 4.5mt per ha.
Accordingly the planned production for maze for 1998 is 91.500mt which will be increased to 181.000mt by the year 2005. This would more than off set the requirement of maize within country.
Several Programmes have been instituted to increase the production of other grains and pulses crops such as Sorghum, Soybean, Pigeonpea, Kurakkan, and Groundnuts.