Day 3 - Heatwave

My host is a widowed woman farmer whose children are married or living in different villages, leaving the burden of farming activities on her shoulders alone. Even though she does not have much help, she has cultivated a quarter acre of paddy, along with an acre of other crops such as ‘mung beans,’ ‘cowpea,’ and ‘peanuts’. She practices crop rotation every season as it helps to keep the soil healthy. Right now it is the ‘Yala’ season, which is the dry season in this region (North Central Province), with one or two sporadic rains, if at all; therefore, many farmers do not cultivate paddy as it requires a lot of water, but instead they would cultivate dry crops such as the ones mentioned above. 

The majority of the families in Pattiyawila village are related. My host is regarded as a strong and outspoken farmer in the village. As I am new to farming, she took the time today to explain to me in detail the input costs to paddy cultivation and a step-by-step guide as to how they do paddy farming here in this area. I am truly grateful to have learnt about local cultivation practices from a woman farmer.

Horowpothana has a rich, long history of paddy cultivation, claiming the highest yields of paddy in Sri Lanka at one point in the distant past, according to some experts.

It was very warm during the day as the heatwave was continuing. It rained in the evening, which was a welcome change for us, as the heat has been unbearable lately. The rain not only provided relief from the sweltering temperatures but also nourished the parched fields.