Current status, constraints and potentials of rainfed finger miltet cultivation in Monaragala district in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Finger millet is well adapted for the low input environments, especially for less water and minimal levels of fertilizer. This crop is cultivated by farmers with less effort using their experience of long term conventional methods. Finger millet has high nutritional and medicinal values. However, the local gene pool has reduced in the crop varieties with the gradual reduction of cultivation extent with the time. A survey was conducted with the objectives of assessing current status, constraints and potentials associated with finger millet cultivation in Thanamalwila Divisional Secretariat in Monaragala District. Five villages were selected as the representative area of finger millet cultivation in the region and twelve larmers of each village who cultivate finger millet were randomly selected as the sampl" Lf th" survey. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the information. According to the results, majority of iarmers cultivated under rainfed condition and the only L70/o used irrigation facilities. Only lZo/o of iarmers increased their finger millet cultivated area while 37o/o has reduced the area of cultivation. About 57ok of households consumed less than 100kg of small millets per year. Farmer awareness on the available technologies to enhance yield is one of the constraints identified in the survey. Crop damage irom wild animals, pests and diseases, heavy rains during harvesting period, difficulties in processing and .orv-price farm gate price were the other constraints. Introduction of suitable technologies, increase of :ultivable land area and promoting consumption could be applied to promote finger millet cultivation in Sri Lanka