Development of Sustainable Ecological Vegetable Production Systems in Matara District, Sri Lanka: an Intervention Approach

Abstract

In Sri Lanka, most of the vegetable farmers apply modern agricultural techniques such as intensive land preparation methods, synthesized fertilizer, hybrid seeds, and agrochemicals. Ultimate results are high cost of production, environmental pollution, biodiversity reduction, habitat destruction and risks to human health and welfare. Sri Lankan people consume the fresh vegetables in their day- to- day meals, knowing that nutritional value and safety of the fresh vegetables are very important. By increasing farmers’ knowledge, there is potential to develop ecological farming systems to control the ill- effects of modern farming technologies. To test this hypothesis, a number of interventions were considered. Farmers in Udupila village, Matara district were surveyed to determine the present situation of the sector. As part of the strategy to increase farmers’ knowledge, training programs, workshops, field visits, and on-farm research were conducted during ten months of intervention from June 2006 to March 2007. After the intervention, farmers were consulted again. Most of them had experienced rapid improvement in their yield and income. Farmers explained that this was due to increased use of compost, planting more vegetable species, soil conservation measures taken and properly planned farming activities. Many farmers also pointed out that much of the increased yield was due to reintroduction of traditional cultivation methods including ecological concepts. Therefore, it is clear that, the role of an agroecologist during an intervention period was very important. It can be concluded that the knowledge of the farmers who were following ecological farming concepts in study area was developed during the period of the study program. Application of an intervention approach for promoting ecological vegetable farming in Matara district is strongly associated with the sustainability of the ecological vegetable production system.