Sri Lanka - Agricultural sector survey (Vol. 2 of 4) : Annexes 1 & 2

I)CCUMENT OF iNTERNATIOiNAL BANK FOR RE,CONLU1S U I i\ I I5IN AND L.)v ELOP-ENT IlNTERNATIONAI, DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION Not For Pubilic Use Report No. PA-1_4a AGRICULTURAL SECTOR SURVEY THE REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA (in four volumes) VOLUME II (Annexes 1. and 2) February 8, 1973 ASIA PROJECI'S DEPARTMENT This report was prepared for official use only by the Bank Group. It may not be published, quoted or cited without Bank Group authorization. The Bank Group does not accept responsibility foT the accuracy or completeness of the report.  GLOSSARY CURRENCY EOUIVALENTS Par RAte: TUS$1 00 3 Rc 595 R Rs 1.00 - US$ 0.17 FEEC Rate: US$1.00 . QQ 9.2 Rs 1.00 US$0.10 WF.IGHT AND IEASURES (British system) 1 long ton - 2240 lbs = 1.016 metric tons I hundredweight (cwt)= 112 lbs = 50.8 kg 1 bushel (bu) ' 45 lbs (of paddy) 1 pint - 0.57 liters 1 acre = 0.405 hectares ABBREVIATIONS NTPE = Ministry of Planning and Employment MAL Ministry of Agriculture and Lands ITi Ministry of Plantation Industries MIPl' Ministry of Irrigation, Power and Hi1:hways >SIT = NMinistry of Forcign and Internal Trade CWE Cooperative Wholesale Establishment GPS = Guaranteed Price Scheme FEEC Foreign Exchange Entitlement Certificate  THE REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA Afl-RICULTTUIRAL SECT'R' 5rtiIRVY VOLU)IE II "XAABLE OF CONTENTS ANMIX 1: Natural Resources and Land Use AhOEX 2: Field Crops A. Pioducticn Possibilities B. Inatit-ati nal Arpets C. Irrigaticxi and Coloizsation D. Cc luons ad f Reomenlatiams   THAE REPtRT.Tr OF SPT *LAN A AGRICULTURAL SECTOR SURVEY ANN VY 1 NATURAL RESOURCES AND LAND USE   THaOUT37TY. rUB OFi CO T LA, A- AGRICULTURAL SECTOR SURVEY _.V NElXv 11 NATURAL RESOURCES AND LAND USE _' OF - NTENTS Page No. Genera:L .....1 , Climate ..... I Water Resources; ............................................ 2 Agro-Climatic Regions ...................... 4 Soils and Potential Land Use ............................... 4 Population. ................ 6 Present Land Use ................. 6 Future Development Prospects ............................... 7 Appendix Table 1: Average Monthly Rainfall for Selected Sites in Sri Lanka for the Period 1931-1960 Appendi:x Table 2: The Minimum Amount of Rainfall Received per Month in Seventy-Five Percent of Years at Selected Sites in Sri Lanka Appendix Table 3: Average Monthly Mean Maximum and Minimum Temperatures for Selected Sites in Sri Lanka for the Period 1931-1969 Appendix Table 4: Land Use in Sri Lanka   ANNEX 1 Page 1 THE REPUBLIC OF SRI lAlNKA AGRICULTURAL SECTOR SURVEY NATURAL RESOURCES AND LAND USE General 1. The island of Sri Lanka is separated from the Indian subcontinent by the shallow Palk Strait. Total surface area of the island approximates 25,000 sq mi or 16.25 million acres. Geologically, Sri Lanka is a contintuatior. of the Indian peninsular. The bulk of the islnnd is floored by pre-CCambrian rocks comprising a gneiss-schist comrplex overlain by a khondalite system. The major exception to the relatively unifnorm geology of the Island is the sedimentary limestone in the north and northwest. Although not well endowed with industrial -minerals, Si TLanka has reasonable deposits of graphite, kaolin, limestone glass sand, ilmenite and gemstones. 2. Topographically, the island has a crown of mountains rising to 7-8,000 feet in the south-central region, surrounded on all sides by fairly flat lowlands (Map. 1). In the southeast, south and west there is only a narrow strip of lowland between the highlads and t-.e coast, but to the north the lowlands fan out into a large plain. Rivers radiate out from the highlands. fo]L70wing geologica_l fault lines in their upper reaches. 3. Three peneplains car. be recognized, separated by fairly steep escarpments. The lower peneplain rises to a maximum altitude of 5-600 feet and coverS about three quarters of the island. Tne second peneplain, is found at an altitudle of from 1,600 - 2,000 feet. The upper peneplain, in the central. montains, takes the form of an anchor marked by the highesi: mountains in the island - Adam's Peak in the west, Kirigalpota in the centre, Pidurutalagala in the north, and N aunukula to the east. The Horton plain!, Moon plain and the Ambawela, Nuwara Eliya and Hatton plateaux lie between the momintainc,Q Climate 4. Sri Lanka is situated on the border of the equatorial belt and its climate is characterized by low variations in temperature and heavy rainfall, It is subj-ect to the northeast monsoon in the period November - February:, locally called the Maha season, and the southwest monsoon in the May-S;eptember perio;d, whtich is referred to as the Yala season. During the intermonsoonal per:Lods, convection storms occur, and in October these are supplemeented by cyclornic depressions which move in from the east. 5. LocaL t-opography plays a major role in determining rainfall distribution over the iLsland. While the whole of Sri Lanka benefits from the northeast mtonsoon, the mountains intercept the southwest monsoon. As a result, the highlands and the southwestern portion of the island, which  ANNEX 1 Page 2 make up about 25% of the island, receive 75 to 200 inches of rain ner year and are referred to as the Wet Zone. The remaining 75% of the island, com- prising the lowlands to the north and east, do not obtain much benefit from the southwest monsoon and receive only 35 to 75 inches of rain per year. This area is referred to as the Dry Zone (see Man 1). A narrow strin of land fringing the highlands to the north and east of the highlands lies between the two zones and is known as the intermediate 7Zone. 6. The average mean monthly rainfall (see Appendix Ta-le 1) suggests that rainfall is adequate for crop growth throughout the year in most districts. This is misleading. however. as there is consir--able variation in the amount and reliability of monthly rainfall between zones and between locations within a zone. Rainfall frequently occurs as high intensity precipitation, leading to limited soil storage, excessive runoff and erosion. Runoff estimates indi-rtp that only 50-607 of .-ainfall received is "effective". Probability data show that, in the Wet Zone, rainfall is adeauate and sufficientl- reliable to grow a crop in both major seasons. In the Dry Zone there is adequate rain in the Maha season, but lack of water precludes the kproduction of alla but drought-resistar,t crops sUc.L a-- pasture, deep-rooted perennials and sesame for the other eight months of the year. 7. Temperature data show that, at a given altitudue, tem.perature is remarkably constant throughout the year and is not a limiting factor to crop production except at the higher altitudes, where frosts occasionally occur. With regard to radiation levels, the Dry Zone is the mcst favored area. Given adequate water supplies, yield potential for ruost coUmmn Lfeia crops is highest in this zone. In summary, lack of rainfall in the Dry Zone during the Febru -SepteTer perLioJ is the riIJor climUaLic constraint to agricultural production in Sri Lanka. Water Resources 8. Almost 75% of the island falls within the Dry Zone, hence surface water and groundwater resources are of particular interest for agricultural development purposes. Given the relatively high total annual rainiall, high rainfall intenities and runo"f, conditions are favotable for surface water sterage in times of plenty for use as supplementary Irrigation in dry periods. Estimates of potential runoff for the island (Taole .) give an order of magnitude to potential surface water storage. Table 1: ESTIMATED AVERAGE ANNUAL PRECIPITATION AND RUNOFF (million acre feet) -D-y Zone Wet Zone All islan Annual Precipitation 57.0 32.0 89.0 Estimated Rumoff 20.7 20.9 41.6 Balance 36.3 11.1 47.4 Source: "Water resources of Ceylon", S. Arumugan, Wavzr Resources Board, Colombo, Sri Lanka.  A'kTX7VX I Ai4D.3X 1 Page 3 ~ ~V Uk LLII.JJ. and potent.l