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Puttalam’s betel cultivation severely affected by black fungul disease
Betel cultivation hit by a fungal disease
As a leaf disease spreads rapidly in the North Western province, betel farmers in Puttalam lament that their production dropped this year.
Acres of betel cultivations belonging to small-scale farmers have been hit by black fungal leaf disease and betel farmers have been forced to shift to alternative crops after their crops failed.
D.M. Jothipala
More than 100 cultivators in Nawagattegama, Palukandawa, Mahamevnawa and Galata Diyawa in the Puttalam District are now in a desperate situation after their crops were affected.
Farmers in Nawagattegama have been supplying betel to buyers in Kuliyapitiya for more than ten years.
Several of these cultivators say no Government authorities have paid attention to their plight so far.
“Although we were hit by the COVID pandemic, we continued to cultivate our lands on a large scale,” said Prabhath IndikaLal, a farmer from this area.
Betel farmers, who were affected by the COVID pandemic, have now been rendered extremely helpless by this fungal disease destroying our crops, he added.
D.M.Jothipala, another farmer from the area, said the COVID-19 pandemic struck during the harvesting season. He also said most of their produce went to waste.
“The biggest question we have right now is how are we going to repay our debts?” he asked.
Meanwhile, Nawagattegama Divisional Secretary Harshana Jayasiri said if these farmers plan on continuing their betel cultivations they would be assisted.
The demand for betel leaves grown in Sri Lanka has created a good market in Pakistan.
Prabhath IndikaLal