Sri Lanka to become self sufficient in dry chillies

A three year plan is now being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture to make the country self sufficient in dry chillies.

The per capita consumption of dry chillies is two and half kilos. In the years 1970 to 1980 and in 1990 Sri Lanka produced its dry chillie requirements. At present 40 thousands tons per year are being imported at a cost of 5,000 million rupees.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka needs 2,500 metric tons of green chillies annually. The three year programme is aimed at producing all these requirements within the country.

In this year alone 70 million rupees will be spent for this plan in order to provide high quality seed varieties. In the Yala Season chillies will be grown in 7,000 hectares and it will be increased to 12 thousand hectares in the Maha season.

Under the plan the green chillie requirement will be met from the low country areas while the dry chillie requirement will be obtained from North and East, Mahaweli Zone, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts. The Agricultural Ministry pointed out that an income of 250 thousand rupees per hectare can be obtained from chillie cultivation.(niz)