Anuradhapura has been identified as a prime location for large-scale rubber cultivation, prompting efforts to expand the industry in the district. The Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka has called upon the Anuradhapura District Secretary and the District Agriculture Committee to direct farmers who are interested to the Rubber Development Department for guidance and infrastructure support.
According to the Anuradhapura District Rubber Development Officer M.M.R. Udayakumara, rubber cultivation is already under way in several areas, including Thalawa, Galenbindunuwewa, Kahatagasdigiliya, Horowpothana, Nuwaragam Palatha Central, and the Nachchaduwa DS Divisions, covering approximately 50 acres.
“Sri Lanka needs around 2,000,000 metric tons of rubber annually, yet local production stands at only 75,000 metric tons. To bridge this gap, rubber cultivation has been extended to the dry zone from its traditional wet-zone areas. In Moneragala, a five-year rubber cultivation project funded by the World Bank through the International Fund for Agricultural Development resulted in 5,000 hectares of rubber plantations. We are now in discussions with the World Bank to introduce a similar project in Anuradhapura,” Udayakumara said.
Steps are being taken to promote rubber planting across all 22 Divisional Secretariat divisions in Anuradhapura until district-wide expansion materialises. However, the Rubber Development Department has suspended the previously available subsidy of Rs. 375,000 per hectare and the Rs. 175,000 allowance for irrigation infrastructure due to financial constraints caused by the recent economic crisis. These subsidies are yet to be reinstated. Currently, the Department provides 215 rubber saplings per acre free as a form of support.
