Location: Batticaloa
Date Visited: 31/07/2013
District: Batticaloa
DS: Vavnathiv
Grama Niladari Division: Panchane
·
Panchane
GN Division include 3 villages (Valakani,Vallathani, ..).
·
Formal
farmer groups identified: Rural Development Society - (President- Vallapudi)
·
There
were 70 farming families in these 3 villages and 15 of them were female
dominant families.
·
Major
income sources: Agriculture and Livestock (Animal husbandry)
o
Agriculture-
paddy, High land crops (Chena)
o
Livestock
- cattle rearing, poultry, goat
·
Under
Chena cultivation they cultivate maize, ground nut, sorghum, green gram, black
gram, okra and chili.
Major problems identified:
Agriculture
-
Transportation-
Health
-
Agriculture-
- They are mainly depends on the rain-fed cultivation. Most people having 2 acres land for cultivation. Many of them cultivate Maha season only and very few cultivate both Yala and Maha seasons. When it comes dry season (drought season) it’s really hard to find the even drinking water so most of the crops get dry. There is a tank but not be able to utilize for agriculture, it has to be repaired. There are no agro wells in this area. The wells they had difficult to drink & use in agriculture due to high salinity.
- Their harvest especially paddy cannot store in their houses due to wild elephant problems. (Elephants are eager to eat seed paddy) so they have to store their harvest in another villages. Frequently elephants come to their villages and sabotage the crops, some people think they are coming in one direction and expect in another days also coming in the same direction but not happen, elephants entering different direction. Elephants regularly come to villages in paddy harvesting periods. When they see some Elephants dumps in the village children’s are not allow to schooling those days.
- Agriculture Instructor and Livestock Development officer are located 4km away from these villages, but they never come to those villages. They always ask farmer to bring the animal or crops damage to their office.
- There is an Agriculture Service Center in that Vavnathive region but these farmers not receive any information from it. For an example if they need to select maize variety for this Maha season what they do is go to Batti town and get the maize seeds from market/seed boutique. They normally not go for AI or ASC and directly purchase from market.
- Normally these families rear 5-6 poultry, 3-5 goats and castles
Paddy field
Transport
- There are about 23Km to Batti town from these villages. For regular farming activities like buying seed/planting materials, fertilizer, pesticide/wedicide, selling their agriculture products they have to go to the Batti town. They have to travel 3.5km by foot to take the Bus and this Bus service is available two times per day (8.30am and 3.00pm).
- Normally their harvest/crops is transported by tractor to town and they were charged Rs.50/= per bag. Actually it was not faire according to themselves but no other options they have. So they are really having this transportation problem.
Health
- They are not having toilet facilities. No medical center/hospital closer to them and need to travel around 12Km for medical center. Two voluntary Mid-wives in this GN area and they regularly visit pregnant women in that area.
Available Infrastructure:
- Across the village electricity wiring is there, but villagers not getting the electricity (problem would be their houses not permanent , specially not having permanent roofs, so Ceylon Electricity Board not give the connection which are having cajans or tree leaves roof houses)
- Mobile coverage is quite good, (Dialog, Mobitel signal strength is acceptable level)
- 90% of the farming family having mobile phone, but they switch on the phone when its required only. Because charging the battery is challenge, they have to spend 10-15 rupees for charging the battery.
- Some farmers had solar panel (with NGO help) to charge the mobile phones but now those are also malfunctioning.
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