The Government of Canada has provided a grant of 6 Million Canadian Dollars to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for the Agro-Economic Development Project (ADP) which aims to improve crop and livestock production in Kilinochchi.  The assistance of FAO specifically pays attention to promoting gender equality through this project. Women play a major role in agriculture in the Northern Province, especially of other field crops than rice, but their financial reward does not match their contribution. They face persistent obstacles and economic constraints, such as limited access to capital, resources and social barriers for working women, which limits their involvement in agriculture particularly in commercialized farming activities. For this reason, FAO in Sri Lanka works with both male and female farmers under the ADP but gives priority to female headed families.

Success story – 1, Kayalvili Thayananthan, Semmankundru, Poonagary, Kilinochchi District

Meet Kayavili. She attended a groundnut cultivation training which was organized by FAO and the Department of Agriculture (DOA). After the training, she came to the realization that seed production is a profitable activity. Kayavili was then selected by DOA and FAO as a suitable beneficiary for groundnut seed production since she had prior experiences in agriculture farming activities. Officers from FAO and DOA frequently visited the farm to give her the necessary advice on seed production procedures. With regular monitoring and guidance by FAO, Kayalvili has produced groundnut seed worth Rs 69,000. 

Kayavili’s successful involvement in groundnut seed production gave her an opportunity to obtain a micro credit from Samadhi and purchase a new cow. She receives an additional income through milk sale. This income helped Kayavili to pay for her children’s education expenses, and the loan payment. She has more plans to construct a water tank to store water for home gardening thereby further diversifying her livelihoods and sources of income.

Success story – 2, Thakshadaran Sukarthini Kumarasamypuram, Kankdawalai, Kilinochchi

Sugarthini from Kumarapuram village is one of victims of the civil war and she has difficulty in undertaking heavy work in the farm. In 2015, Sugarthini received papaw plants from DOA and she worked hard to cultivate them well. Later, Sugarthini realized that papaya cultivation is an attractive cash crop for female farmers. The DOA handpicked her as a beneficiary for papaw farming under FAO’s ADP Project. This intervention helped Sugarthini carry out papaw cultivation uninterruptedly.

As she is also involved in cattle rearing, she received fodder sorghum seeds from FAO. Now Sugarthini and her husband are engaged in integrated farming activities where they have cattle, goats, chicken, fruit crops (grapes, guava, banana and papaw), pasture lands, vegetables and cereals, which they manage successfully. All these are cultivated on a three-acre land area where they have dug two wells for irrigating their crops and other farming activities.

Success story – 3, KRISHNAN THUSIYANTHAN, Klavetty Thidall, Poliyam Pokkanai, Kankdawalai, Kilinochchi District, Sri Lanka

Krishnan lives in the Kilinochchi District. He stopped his studies due to the conflict and displacement in his area. During the conflict, Krishnan lost all of his properties and his livelihood. After attending a training on dairy management which was organized by FAO, he was provided fodder sorghum grass seeds to produce his own feed. Growing grass is the most important operation in semi intensive cattle rearing practice. After developing his pastureland with hard work, he was provided one cross breed cow with a calf by FAO. Krishnan now looks forward to expanding his cattle rearing into a commercial scale as this will gives his family a steady income. He has also decided to pursue artificial insemination to multiply the number of improved cattle with support from FAO and Department of Animal Production.