This document outlines a case study examining traditional farming practices in reclaiming saline-affected paddy lands in Poonagary DS division of Kilinochchi District, Sri Lanka. The study aims to understand the role of traditional farming in addressing issues of marginalized paddy lands. It will utilize qualitative interviews with farmers, officials, and experts to analyze constraints and identify appropriate interventions. The expected results are recommendations to support saline-resistant traditional farming and reclaim abandoned lands, which could help plan subsidies and improve agricultural development plans in Kilinochchi.

1. .
Effectiveness of
traditional farming in regaining
saline affected paddy lands
a case study on Poonagary DS
Division
An examination of the current issues of marginalizing paddy
lands in Poonagary DS division and exploring possible solutions.
L. S. S. Mohamed, [PGDDS/2012/005]University of Colombo

2. Background
• Agriculture is the major economic sector of the Kilinochchi District
and was well developed.
• Conflict took away economic development, productive assets,
infrastructure, traditional practices and the preserved paddy varieties and
the indigenous farmers.
• Poonagary most renowned producer of the traditionally grown
varieties of paddy and always had a market potential within the
province where in most of the parts paddy is not grown.
• Resumption of farming following the end of conflict the sector
shows several significant changes
• Mainly small holder farmers are faced with the challenge of
paddy fields becoming saline affected due to the rapid usage
of synthetic chemicals, and the damaged salt water intrusion
bunts in Poonagary DS area of Kilinochchi District.

3. Literature survey
The productivity of small scale farming was higher than that of large
scale farming. The results further indicated that farmers do not
possess adequate knowledge about optimum management practices
and most of them being part time farmers do not allocate sufficient
time to follow management practices. - study of Baddawalage and
Karunagoda, 2010.
The market for 2012 Emergency Market Mapping and Analysis Sri
Lanka OXFAM GB - “Many farmers and officials worry about declining
production in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu due to a variety of factors
including lack of sufficient livestock to naturally fertilize the land, very
little red rice varietal improvements since the start of the conflict, and
a small but potentially growing shift to white rice production for sale
outside the districts.”

4. The research problem
Can traditional paddy farming practices and
varieties help reclaim salinity affected paddy
fields becoming abundant in Poonagary
• What’s the existing capacity of the traditional paddy
market system in Kilinochchi to meet the rice
demand of the Northern province?.
• What are the constraints for the target population to
meet their needs for achieving higher market and
productivity?
• What are appropriate interventions to support the
paddy producers to meet market demand of
traditional rice.

5. Objective of the study
Main objective of the study is to examine
the current issues of marginalizing paddy
lands in Poonagary DS division and
exploring the role of traditional farming in
reclaiming those.

6. Significance of the study
Many studies has looked into the existing issues
of the paddy sector but this study will be looking
into the remedies which are possible and viable in
the local context to increase the productivity
The study looks the possible policy level
recommendation in improving the saline affected
paddy lands and its market

7. Proposed Methodology
•Qualitative study, especially field interview method will be utilized to
get the valuable information from paddy sector actors from Kilinochchi
district . Further judgmental sampling method will be used to select
the respondents in the paddy market chain. (Agri Extension officers, farmer
leaders, provincial Director of agriculture and agrarian services. Twenty five individual
farmers who have involved in the paddy farming activities, Poonagary division will be
selected and also interviewed. )
•Secondary data study will be conducted to understand and
compare the existed best practices in north on traditional farming in
north and the best practices practiced in the other parts (especially
tsunami affected) of the island.

8. Conceptual Framework
Varietie
s and
input
Knowle
dge
Interest
Proper
organic
manure
Effectiveness of
traditional farming system in regaining
saline affected paddy lands
Marketi
ng
Availabil
ity of
Labour
Extension
Service

9. Expected Results
• The study will find the adoptability of traditional
farming in Poonagary and come with certain
recommendations and best practices for saline
resistant farming.
• The study will also propose recommendations to
the existing Agrarian Development plan of the
department of agriculture on reclaiming
abundant paddy land in Kilinochchi district.
• The findings and results would help to plan an
alternative subsidy for traditional farming.

10. Bibliography
• Baddawalage, M.L., and Karunagoda, K. (2010) Analysis of Factors affecting
the stability and continuity of paddy production in wet zone of SriLanka.
Fourth Annual Research Forum, SriLanka, Agricultural Economic
Association.
• CIC agri (pvt) Ltd, Srilanka, Website (URL) 2012 [Online] Available from:
www. Cicagri.com [Accessed 02nd Janury2013]
• Comprehensive Master Plan for agriculture crop sector development,
Northern Province. (2009). Provincial Director of Agriculture, Department
of agriculture, SriLanka.
• Practical Action, website(URL) 2013 available fom www.practicalaction.org
(15th January 2013)
• Sivapalan Achchuthan & Rajendran Kajananthan, A Study on Value Chain
Analysis in Paddy Sector: SpecialReference to Kilinochchi District,
Srilanka,Global Journal of Management and Business Research. .

11. Thank You