Frequently Asks Questions
Common Questions
1. How do we select a suitable land to cultivate?
You may need to consider several factors before deciding to purchase a land for cultivation. First of all, youmight have an idea about the crop that you are going to grow on that land. Then, you need to search the most suitable land for the crop. Search can be done by using advertisements on newspapers/TVs, street banners, leaflets, news from friends and other communities, social medias and brokers. When you obey with the brokers, you have to think twist. otherwise, you will lose money.
Then, you need to understand social and biodiversity environment because they will seriously impact on your cultivation. Wild animals living around the land may attack your crops. Damages by Monkeys, Birds, Elephants, wild Squirrels, Mouse, Porcupines, Wild boars, Buffaloes will be painful. Thieves living around the land will be harmful for cultivators. Sometime, it will be huge lost for the farmers. Specially, coconut thieves pick up coconuts in early in the morning or evening. It will lose money for coconut growers considerably.
However, if you have not selected a crop to grow but you have found cheaper land you can decide purchase it. Next, if you want to cultivate the land you have to select a suitable crops, it is better to think about the above factors.
2. What are the criteria we need to consider at selection of land to purchase?
You need to study topography, climate and weather in the area, accessibility to land(roads and paths), soil, nature of the land (flooding or marshy land), rock and soil erosion.
3. What are the procedures to follow at the purchasing a land?
if you are a Sri Lankan, after negotiation with the land owner you can reach to an agreeable decision on the land price. Then, you need to obtain copies of deed and plan and give them to lawyer for clarification. If they are in order, you need to get a lawyer’s support to prepare land transferring documents. Finally, in front of lawyer you may pay all the prices for land and get registration in the land registry.
4. What are the taxes and charges we need to pay at the purchasing a land?
We need to pay stamp tax based on the land value to provincial revenue department in addition to lawyer’s price. However, provincial revenue department will assess land value based on the area and location and let you know. Your responsibility is to pay total taxes assessed by the government.
5. What should we know for land preparation for crops?
If your land has been covered by bushes or unnecessary plants, you need to cut them before grow. Further, depended on the topography of it, you may need to dig pitches along with the contour to avoid soil erosion. Beyond these basic preparations, land should be prepared based on the crop you expected to grow.
6. Do you need a watcher/caretaker to protect the land?
If you are not living in the land you purchased or you wish to secure your property, you are suggested to employ a watcher or caretaker. small family/families based on the land size or its property is suitable to employ in the crop land. One of the advantages to employ a family in the land is that at least one person is staying in the land all the round. It will reduce the theft attacks.
7. If yes how do you consider watcher’s duty?
A Watcher/Guard must protect the property while maintaining the land as per owner’s requirement. A man who loves the plants, knows farming, are honest and healthy is more suitable for this duty.
8. What are the watcher’s requirements?
Suitable monthly payment, house and basic requirement for watching such as torch battery, mamoty, knife, bush cutting machines etc.
9. Do you need a bungalow to build in the land to stay for you at your visit?
It is a good idea. If you wish to stay in the land to get fresh air as well as relax in a calm environment, you need to build a suitable house with full furnished at suitable location in the land.
10. How do you build a watcher hut?
A hutor small house is needed to build in the for watcher and his family. Basic needs such as electricity, water should be supplied. In addition, the watcher hut is needed to equipped with suitable kitchen, toilet etc.
11. How do you build a bungalow in the cultivated land?
If you are not living near the land you purchased, youhave to assign a construction institution for building a house. At first, you have to draw a plan and need to follow legal procedure to get approval for it from urban/Provincial council.
12. How to decide suitable crops to grow your own land?
Climate, Soils, Water and availability of workers are needed to consider at the selecting the crops. Climate, Soil, and water are directly correlated with the cultivation. As an example, some varieties of coconut have been developed according to available climate and soil.
Predictable and Reliable market is another criterion to select suitable crop. Crop you expected to plant must have wide acceptance and demand. All season high demand crops will be an advantage for growers. Therefore, farmers who want to make profit must decide to grow such crops.
The amount of capital you are willing to invest in farming is a factor to decide a crop for cultivation. Here, you can consider availability of loans or subsistence from government institution in addition to your investment.
Managerial skills as well as your knowledge on the selected crop will be an advantage for you selecting the crop. If you have more experiences on the particular crop which suitable for the area, it will be an advantage for you in farming.
Further, you are invited to consider all logistical challenges such as source for inputs and its impact on the overall cost, distance from the market, time of harvesting, and facilities for harvesting before choosing a crop.
13. How to obtain advise for your cultivations?
Institutions established under the Department of Agriculture in Sri Lanka will basically assist for crop cultivations. They have assigned Extension Officers for this purpose. Your nearest Agrarian Office will guide you to contact such officers who are expertise with the cultivation of crops. As examples, Agricultural Export Department will provide technical support for export crops such as Pepper, Cinnamon, Cocoa etc. Coconut Development Board will provide extension services for Coconut planting. Please contact nearest Agrarian Service Office for details of these purposes.
On the other hand, reading of leaflets, magazines, bulletins, articles in newspapers and books written on the relevant crops will be useful for the beginners. In additions to print media, electronic media such as websites, social media can also be searched for this purpose. Reading of banners made on the farming or crops will be useful. Attending for seminars, lectures, conferences, meetings and workshops in regards with your cultivation enrich your knowledge.
14. Do you know land preparation for the selected crops?
Land preparation for cultivation defers from crop to crop. Further, it differs due to the nature and topography of the land. Therefore, we need to have a knowledge of land preparation before starting cultivation. It is suggested to obtain consultation from Agricultural Officers or reading guidelines carefully published by Department of Agriculture.
15. How do you get works done in the land by giving contracts or employing labors?
Decision on giving contract or employing workers for some works on farming depended on the labour charge, skill of workers and availability of workers. If workers’ charge for a particular work is high, you will seek possibilities to hire machinery. Most of the owners of agricultural machineries in Sri Lanka is private owners. On this situation, a farmer has to obtain those services by giving contract. If the owner of the land has not time to supervise the workers, a better way to employ contractors. Further, you do not have skilled workers, next decision is to go to selected contractor.
16. How to find workers?
This is very difficult task for farmers. In Sri Lanka, you can’t find workers directly. You need to get assistance from print media. For this purpose, some mangers publish advertisements on media. You can also communicate with others the matter and get help them. Otherwise, there are some people who provide workers for the cultivators. They have enough skilled and unskilled workers to provide cultivation as per request. Try these providers workers and negotiate the price of workers as per your requirement. Whenever it is possible, it is suitable to maintain manpower database for your future use.
17. How to find contractors?
In order to find contractors, you may communicate with other cultivators or agricultural extension officers in the area. They will help you. Or moreover, you can find contact details from some newspaper. Be careful on this matter because there may be some fake contractors inthe society.
18. Current charges for contractors?
Charges of contractors vary based on the reputation, quality, quantity and province/district.
19. Current charges for laborers?
Charges for unskilled workers per day without meal is in range from 1500/= to 2000/= Rupees. With meals it is around Rupees 1500/=. Skilled labor such as Carpenter, Mason is in range from Rupees 2000/= to Rupees 2500/=. (As at 2023)
20. How to supervise workers of both of contractors and laborers?
Quality of the workers will enhance your farm. You always have to employ quality workers. You may also cautious on their arrival time, departure time, knowledge of assigned works, confidence, trustworthy, their dutifulness, ability to work as per the given instructions and completion of the work within expected time frame. Lazy and dishonest workers will make loss for your farm.
21. What factors which help you to complete works successfully?
Skilled of the employees, efficiency of the workers, availability of workers and supervising.
22. How do you evaluate the workers’ activities and decide re-employ them to next works?
If assigned works are finished as per scheduled time with quality without wasting materials, they can be evaluated as good and re-employ without doubt.
23. Problems and issues at employing workers?
Non-availability of good workers, absentees in proposed time or day, lateness and lazy workers, unskilled workers and cheating erode your farm or cultivation.
24. How to protect land?
Building a fence, employing a security, residing in the land, and installing the CCTV cameras, good supervision and proper management.