Date: Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:18:37 +0530
Subject: Emailing: bananas. tissa.
Picture Adjoining Chena, near Tissa, bananas. 7 Km off Tissa.
The damming of the Kirindi Oya (a river) creating the Lunugam vehera water
scheme, allows water supply twice a year to the area.
This water scheme was commissioned in the 1980s in JRJ's time. Credit to
him.
Rajapakse tried to improve it but gave up as water was insufficient for the
stage 2 of envisioned scheme.
The impression of the older discerning locals is that it has made the
climate better, with more water, rains and greenery allowing two kannas or
harvests. Cannot do three per year.
Right now it is rice harvesting time. Reminds you of popular song,
lilting 'Ranwan karalin pirilaa, wel yaayama pirilaa, Siriya
ramani...ramanee sinaha paalaa' by Susil Premaratne and Latha of 1950s.
Those huge machines harvest paddy and bring out stoneless paddy seeds. All
in one go. Only a few do it all manually.
Machine Cost Rs 12000/ day. Will harvest 10 acres. Millers advance money for
the work.
Paddy sells at Rs 22/Kg, but higher at Rs 32 per Kg to govt if the paddy is
'cleaned' up better. Either way, the farmer is happy.
We bought husked rice at Rs 45 per Kg. In Colombo it is about Rs 60/
In comparison wheat flour is Rs 85 I think. Actually we don't buy it. At
that price it is cheaper to make aappa, roti pittu with rice. And the
prepared mixture is so easy to use.
Wheat flour bread, buns, maalu pang and pastry is yet popular, much mores so
in cities.
So much for the ancient huge PL480 American AID of wheat flour, which kept
our city folk happy and the 'peasants' rushing to Colombo for menial jobs.
The Americans subsided wheat growing.
Now we subsidise rice just as they did wheat. More independent.
Credit to Dudley, Sirima and Mahinda over the decades.
(Cost of a pang gediya is Rs 60/ Weight 335gms only. But in those towns it
is excellent to taste, crispy.)
Of course we shall not ignore the farmers, the rataka balaya! Mohideen
Baig's deep ' Goviya wey rataka baley, goviya vey!'
Actually they only fought the good battles with the LTTE, hand to hand!
While city folk got the occasional bomb only.
jksw
Subject: Emailing: bananas. tissa.
Picture Adjoining Chena, near Tissa, bananas. 7 Km off Tissa.
The damming of the Kirindi Oya (a river) creating the Lunugam vehera water
scheme, allows water supply twice a year to the area.
This water scheme was commissioned in the 1980s in JRJ's time. Credit to
him.
Rajapakse tried to improve it but gave up as water was insufficient for the
stage 2 of envisioned scheme.
The impression of the older discerning locals is that it has made the
climate better, with more water, rains and greenery allowing two kannas or
harvests. Cannot do three per year.
Right now it is rice harvesting time. Reminds you of popular song,
lilting 'Ranwan karalin pirilaa, wel yaayama pirilaa, Siriya
ramani...ramanee sinaha paalaa' by Susil Premaratne and Latha of 1950s.
Those huge machines harvest paddy and bring out stoneless paddy seeds. All
in one go. Only a few do it all manually.
Machine Cost Rs 12000/ day. Will harvest 10 acres. Millers advance money for
the work.
Paddy sells at Rs 22/Kg, but higher at Rs 32 per Kg to govt if the paddy is
'cleaned' up better. Either way, the farmer is happy.
We bought husked rice at Rs 45 per Kg. In Colombo it is about Rs 60/
In comparison wheat flour is Rs 85 I think. Actually we don't buy it. At
that price it is cheaper to make aappa, roti pittu with rice. And the
prepared mixture is so easy to use.
Wheat flour bread, buns, maalu pang and pastry is yet popular, much mores so
in cities.
So much for the ancient huge PL480 American AID of wheat flour, which kept
our city folk happy and the 'peasants' rushing to Colombo for menial jobs.
The Americans subsided wheat growing.
Now we subsidise rice just as they did wheat. More independent.
Credit to Dudley, Sirima and Mahinda over the decades.
(Cost of a pang gediya is Rs 60/ Weight 335gms only. But in those towns it
is excellent to taste, crispy.)
Of course we shall not ignore the farmers, the rataka balaya! Mohideen
Baig's deep ' Goviya wey rataka baley, goviya vey!'
Actually they only fought the good battles with the LTTE, hand to hand!
While city folk got the occasional bomb only.
jksw
