There has been a growing demand for fruits in the world. Mango is in the forefront among fruit varieties. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (F.A.O), the world mango production is around 60-65 million metric tons with 1,000 varities of the stuff cultivated worldwide.
A project to provide technical assistance to improve the commercialised production of fruits in Sri Lanka has been launched by the FAO in collaboration with Agriculture Ministry with China extending financial support. The FAO said that there is a rich diversity of fruits with a range of 100 edible fruit crops mainly mangoes in the country and there is a significant potential for launching a fruits based profitable fruit cultivation and value addition industry to earn foreign exchange.
Fruit growing project
TJC planting material ready for distribution among farmers in Anuradhapura
The fruit growing project is being implemented in the Anuradhapura, Kilinochchi, Moneragala, Kalutara and Gampaha districts under phase one, with mango, banana and pineapple.
In keeping with this fruit production entrepreneurial awakening in the country the Government has, with the assistance of the Ellawala Horticulture institute in Dambewatana and Galkiriyagama in the Anuradhapura district has embarked on a program to begin EJC or TJC mango cultivation zones giving priority to dry zone farmers.
The EJC or the TJC mango variety is now a world famous fruit brand, originating from Sri Lanka as a result of numerous research and tests by planter Tom Ellawala and his colleague Juwan Carlose, a horticulturist who is a Philippine national worked in Sri Lanka under an ADB funded agriculture development project in the dry zone. Their invention was made when mango varieties such as Karaththacolomban, Vilad, Vella Colomban, Rata Amba, Petti Amba, Mee Amba are grown in nearly in 30,000 acres.
The setting up of the TJC Mango Zone in the Anuradhapura district was initiated in 2021 covering 16 Divisional Secretariat (DS) divisions in the district out of 22 DS divisions with 10,000 farmers participating in the program. The main objective of the program is to create a productive environment to gain competitive access to the foreign fruit market.
Prevision of plants
A TJC mango plantation in Thirappane
Twenty-five plants are provided per beneficiary farmer initially possessing title for at least for 0.25 acre under this venture according to Anuradhapura District Planning Director Sugath Nayanananda.
Activities pertaining to the project are awareness and training programs, pruning instructions, distribution of Agri-equipment and gear, provision of fruit covers and marketing facilities.
Nearly 250,000 TJC Mango saplings have been distributed in the Anuradhapura district. Farmers in the Thirappane DS division have showcased tremendous success in the Tom EJC Mango Cultivation Project.
Recently, officials such as Anuradhapura District Secretary Janaka Jayasundara accompanied by District Planning Director Sugath Nayananda, Additional District Secretary (Land) Sandya N.G. Abesekara, Thirappane Divisional Secretary I.G.A.R.S. Bandara toured in the Thirappane DS division to inspect the progress being achieved by Mango cultivations.
It was disclosed that a group of Mango farmers who have been successful in the first phase have been offered 25 fresh TJC Mango plants while a batch of amateur farmers is encouraged to join the program, with subsidies provided to them. According to District Planning Director Nayanananda there are around 60 TJC Mango growers engaged in harvesting in the Thirappane DS division.
