Green House Cultivation Project in Sri Lanka

Project Concept

Environmental degradation is not only due to mass development. It comes in a more threatening form where there's poverty. In remote/rural villages, where there is less opportunity to earn a better income, people resort to devastating actions such as cutting down of trees for fuel and timber, setting fire to forests, especially in watershed areas for Chena cultivation, commercial exploitation of land for mass cultivation of food crops thus paving avenues towards soil erosion etc.

This situation is getting worse by day and if alternative cultivation methods are not introduced, the consequences are going to be devastating and extremely dangerous.

In order to eliminate the situation people must not only be educated, but coordinated action and concerted efforts have to be made for them to turn away from conventional types of agriculture and environmentally unfriendly livelihood.

If a few community based organizations and donors could get together, and offer the right formula to eliminate these actions, the threat could be minimized, if not completely eliminated.

After a thorough study and close consultation of rural community members/leaders, the panel of consultants of Techno Sol Agro has come across the concept of financing green houses/poly-tunnels for selected rural communities with a marketing formula added for the buy back guarantee of the products.

The project will eventually eliminate the devastating actions of rural villagers, commonly committed without their knowledge,

1. Bringing better financial benefits to the villagers

2. Eventually the farmer communities being self educated about the value of environmental/bio-diversity protection

3. Better living standards

4. Setting examples to the others

5. Minimum soil erosion

6. Minimizing deforestation

And making strong rural communities with better attitude and lessons for their future generations and will support the concept of full participation of women as equal partners in the sustainable development of their societies.

Initiation
The program launched in the Uva Province. Bandarawelae and Haputale area, an area where a serious environmental degradation has been monitored, has been selected for this pilot project.

Action

Mainly 25 green houses/poly-tunnels constructed as a pilot project. Techno Sol Agro takes the full responsibility and expenses of the construction of the tunnels/green houses under the guidance of its panel of consultants.

Total Construction cost of ply-tunnel is Rs.175,000.00

Two community participants will be involved with one poly-tunnel. One person (Preferably the house wife since there is no hard labor involved in poly-tunnel cultivation) from each family will be engaged in the work of the tunnel. Their commitment begins at the very beginning of construction under expert guidance, maintenance, cultivation methods under supervision, harvesting, marketing and at the end of the financial liabilities to the lending organization, formal transfer of the ownership of the tunnel to the participating family member.

Sustainability

Income generation begins approximately on the 45th day from the date of completion of the cultivation of tunnels. Techno Sol Agro has an understanding with the Cargill’s Food city buying Centers and Export buyers to buy the total production at current market rates. We are negotiating with leadin

g hotels in the country to buy these organic products at an above market rate and the out come is positive. Techno Sol Agro established and maintains several specialty shelves at leading super markets to sell these products as a special organic, pesticide and insecticide free vegetable range for the discerning customer, which will be an up market range of products. The participating farmers will have a greater enthusiasm due to the fact that they are going to gain more on financial terms & there is less labor involved with the project. As the hosting organization of the project, Tec

hno Sol Agro will guarantee in writing the total responsibility of the project and its sustainability.

Beneficiaries

Low income families of the above areas
Women of the rural families involved in the project will financially benefit from the project

Policy making groups of the country
Study groups of various academic institutions/schoo

ls

Farmer community as a whole to divert their activities into more environmentally friendly,

economically sound ventures of this nature.

The nation as a whole who will consume more he

althy food and demand better quality similar to the products derived from this project.

Financial aspects of the project (2000 Sqft

Poly-Tunnel)

Total Cost of the cultivation per year ------------------------Rs. 350,000.00

Techno Sol Agro’s contribution (70%-50%)-----------------Rs. 245,000.00

Investor’s Contribution (30-50%) -----------------------Rs. 100,000.00

Commitments to the Project

Techno Sol Agro will contribute to the project in the following disciplines

Technical Support

100% of the Construction cost of Poly- tunnels

Construction of Poly-tunnels

Up to 50% of cultivation cost

Coordination

Investor’s repayment guarantee on behalf of the f

armers

Consultancy fees where applicable

Marketing of the products

Any other aspect suggested by the lending institute

Media coverage/ publicity/ propaganda

Techno Sol Agro will attend to the local media coverage and publicity of the project and of its investors appropriately. The project will be highlighted i

nternationally through the following international partners of Techno Sol Agro.

Techno Sol Agro 's financial liabilities

We do not have any financial lia

bility to any lending institution up to date. Techno Sol Agro is fully funded by philanthropists, its Directors & the committed Panel of consultants. We have excellent references and are available on request if necessary.

Long Term Benefits of the Project
This will be a pilot project and will eventually set an exa mple to the others on how to be mo re productive and efficient without threatening the environment and the bio-diversity. After completion of Phase I, Techn o Sol Agro A will launch a nation wide pr ogram of similar nature, ed ucating and facilitating necessary infrastructure for a better agricultural policy with the full cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Income Projection

Green house cultivation has no seasonal

affects. Cultivation can be consistent throughout the year and crops vary depending on the projected/anticipated market vacuums/ over supply etc. Specialty vegetable & fruit varieties are accommodated according to buyers' demands. Mostly Salad Cucumber, Tomato, Brocc

oli, Red Cabbage, Cauliflower, Bull nose, Salad leaves are cultivated in green houses

due to the round the year demand for them.

Crops from poly-tunnels are of better quality, larger in size weighing more and even suitable for export markets. Crop losses due to extreme climatic conditions, insect attacks, and viral or fungal attacks are minimal due to the controlled climate inside the green house. No pesticides are used minimizing the costs involved with cultivation.

Maximum crop harvesting is guaranteed and the prices paid for organic vegetables/ fruits are very much higher than the prices paid for products manufactured using conventional types of cultivation methods.

General guidelines on income generation of a green house with a dimension of 100' X 20' (same dimensions are used for the project) are as follows.

The income indicated is on a minimum basis and practically it could be higher. Agricultural insurance scheme permits the farmer to overcome probable natural disasters.

Since the mixed cultivation and rotational cultivation and harvesting methods are followed, the green house generates almost daily income to the farmer.

Minimum net income from a Poly-tunnel after 45 days
from germination with dimensions of 100' X 20 ',
with mixed cultivation,

using rotational cultivation and harvesting method,
utilizing hydroponic technology & drip irrigation
systems is approximately per day ---------------------------Rs. 72,000+/-2.5%

Approximate income generated
from the 05th month of operation ------------------Rs. 360,000+/-2.5%

Projected annual income
from 1 poly-tunnel ------------------------------------Rs.720,000+/-2.5%

Community Participation

The selected rural community groups will participate in training programs, gaining practical green house construction experience, supply voluntary feedback on the progress of the project gaining financial benefits as well as knowledge. They will be eventually educated on the importance of protecting the environment and bio diversity and the importance of using modern technology in a friendly way. The rural community will learn by themselves that modern technology is not a threat, but a blessing in many ways if used correctly. The community participating members will take part in step by step project evaluation & progress monitoring process with voluntary feedback of their own to the hosting organization & the funding organizations.

Conclusion

Preliminary studies carried out by the panel of consultants of Techno Sol Agro has proved that the enormous impact that can be created among the rural communities with these types of projects can be ten times as much as that of an educational seminar or any other community development program. Techno Sol Agro , a organization working for a better environment in Sri Lanka, always welcomes suggestions & views from all those who are interested in environment related activities. Let us go hand in hand to make a better world for us and our future generations.