Local orange growers complain over lack of markets

Ma ha And ar awe wain the Navagaththegama Divisional Secretariat, of the Puttalam District is home to 100 orange orchard owning families, with over a hundred acres of land presently under orange cultivation.

Dingiri Banda an orange cultivator and seller says conditions in the village are ideal for orange cultivation and the harvest is bountiful. Unfortunately, he lamented, buyers are few.

Local buyers prefer imported oranges. Sri Lankans are deceived by the colour and flavour of the imported variety. They are blissfully oblivious to the chemicals contained in these imported fruits. The buyers do not realise they are consuming poison, he said.

The orange plantations cover over 100 acres of land and the fruits are plentiful. Even now the trees are covered with flowers and the harvest will be bountifu Mr. Banda said.

What we need is a steady purchaser who will pay a reasonable price for our produce he added.

Presently an orange fetches between Rs 4/to Rs 5/-. Growers say while the crop will be harvested next year, they will not be able to sell most of the crop.

Champa Dilhani , another orange grower said "we spend a fairly large sum of money on cultivating oranges. To overcome drought conditions in the district, we budded orange plants onto divul plants. This does not change the flavour or quality of the fruit, but makes the plant drought resistant.

What I can't bear she said "is the sight of rotting fruit at the base of the trees" she said.

E.M. Gunaratne Banda another orange grower in Maha Andarawewa said, ‘As we do not receive a fair price for our produce, we have been reduced to a position of helplessness.

'Presently we are at the mercy of middlemen who purchase our produce at a pittance. They offer us ridiculously low prices. If we had a regular market for our produce, we will be able to get out of this bad situation he said.