The Anuradhapura District TJC mango cultivation program has been progressing very successfully. The Plantation Industries and Export Agriculture Ministry launched the TJC Mango Plantation Zone in the Anuradhapura District in 2020 and now in almost all 22 Divisional Secretariat Divisions in the district the TJC mango cultivation has been thriving with nearly 5,000 farmers actively contributing to the project.
The farmers possessing a minimum of ¼ acre landscape of their own are chosen for contributing to the TJC mango growing program on the basis of 25 farmers in one Grama Niladhari division.
Anuradhapura District Planning Director Sugath Nayanananda who coordinates the TJC mango cultivation venture with the support of the private sector fruit growers like the Ellawala Botanical Gardens Company in Dambewatana which introduced the fast spreading TJC mango variety, told the Sunday Observer that around 300,000 TJC saplings have been distributed among farmers.
It is learnt that similar TJC mango zones have been started in Kurunegala, Embilipitiya, Ampara, Polonnaruwa and the Kataragama Districts. He said that at present the first mango harvesting season has commenced.
Thirappane Divisional Secretariat Division in Anuradhapura District has been in the forefront of the district TJC mango cultivation program. The Division’s Assistant Planning Director M.C.B Ekanayake said that the cultivation was initiated for the first time in 2020 with 10,000 plants distributed to 400 farmers. According to him, at present 2,371 farmers have taken to the TJC mango cultivation.
It is understood that there is a plan to open a value addition project for TJC mango fruit in Anuradhapura including the manufacturing of export quality mango juice and mango pulp to meet the growing demand in the Middle East and European countries for the TJC mango variety.