Normal extension services of this division cover all grain crops, other field crops, fruits, vegetables and any other food crop not covered by an agency while laying emphasis on nationally important crops. Farmers are guided through personal contacts, mass media, demonstrations, field days, farmers trainings and through several other activities to achieve the main normal extension targets indicated below.

Rice

Seed paddy production	4500 farmers	250000 bushels
Introduction of new paddy varieties	1400 farmers	270 ha
Integrated pest management demonstrations	7000 farmers	2500 ha
Minimizing indiscriminate pesticide use	1000 farmers	560 ha
Weed control demonstrations	600 farmers	300 ha
Use of organic fertilizers	10000 farmers	6000 ha
Use of straight fertilizers	8400 farmers	4800 ha
Soil testing for nutrients	600 farmers	600 ha
Milled quality rice production by farmers and millers	500 farmers	2439 tons
Use of paddy threshing machines	200 farmers	200 machines
Forward contracting for marketing 36000 tons of paddy	8600 farmers	80 millers

Other Field Crops

While providing extension advice to farmers on a variety of other field crops efforts will be concentrated on the demonstrative extents indicated below: Farmer training and field days will be conducted to ensure lateral spread.

Adaptation of recommended package of practices during 2001 Maha:

Crop	No. of farmers	Extent ha
Maize	1500	600
Chilli	500	100
Cowpea	250	50
Green gram	1800	400
Groundnut	300	50
Kurakkan	500	100
Red onion	400	100
Big onion seed production	120	6
Soya bean	100	30

Similarly special attention will be given to following extents under crop diversification in paddy fields during 2001 Yala while providing extension advice to farmers on their usual crop cultivations.

Maize	60	200
Chilli	1000	200
Cowpea	25	10
Green gram	800	150
Ground nut	120	25
Red onion	100	20
Big onion	100	3

Under the Thriposha, Ranposha and Samaposha programmes it is expected for 1000 farmers to cultivate about 500 ha. under maize, soyabean and green gram. The contract growing under the animal feed industry is expected to cover 2500 ha of maize cultivated by about 3000 farmers.

Apart from the other field crops cultivation activities mentioned above following activities also have been planned under the normal extension programme for 2001.

Forward trading contracts	1200 farmers	30 traders
Establishment of micro irrigation systems	30 farmers	12 hectares

Vegetables 

A very large quantity of local and exotic vegetables are produced in Sri Lanka. Although DOA provides technical guidance on cultivation aspects, selection of varieties etc. farmers have modified these recommendations anticipating higher benefits though excessive and harmful to all. Health hazards caused by indiscriminate use of pesticides, overfertilization, improper post harvest handling, wastage, marketing problems, high consumer prices, unauthorized land clearing, soil erosion, fertility degradation and many other problems remain deserving deeper national concern.

With these problems in mind DOA extension service exerts thrust on the following activities through demonstrations, discussions, farmer trainings etc.

	Farmers	Extent ha
Off season cultivation of vegetables	300	60
Protected agricultural systems	5	5
Prevention of post harvest losses	300	120
Integrated pest control with minimum use of pesticides	120	300
Organic fertilizer production and utilization	120	300
Introduction of vegetables to new locations	100	20
Highland and homestead development	450	90
Vegetable cultivation under micro irrigation	12	3
Integrated vegetable farms	50	20
Cucurbit cultivation under improved practices (use of organic fertilizer bagging of fruits etc.)	100	20
High income vegetable cropping systems	32	15
Leafy vegetables	100	20
High yielding sweet pepper	25	8
Introduction of new snake gourd variety	16	4
Kiriala production for export & local market	80	20
Thibbatu production for export & local market	15	3
Sweet potato cultivation under recommended practices	110	30

Fruit Crops 

Fruit crops though having tremendous potential have not received due attention so far. Cultural practices such as training and pruning of trees, thinning and bagging of fruits etc. are rarely practiced. Immature harvesting and other problems similar to vegetables remains to be addressed. Systematic cultivation of following extents have been planned for year 2001 under the normal extension programme. 
 

Crop	No. of Farmers	Extent ha
Banana	1250	250
Lime	20	4
Orange	20	4
Grape	32	4
Pineapple	45	9
Papaya	80	30
Mango	100	20
Passion fruit	62	10

Following activities have also been planned for 2001 under fruit crop promotional programme.

Rehabilitation of existing fruit cultivation	150	25
Forward trading contracts, Papaya,	40	8
Passion fruit	40	20
Establishment of banana nurseries	7	3
Banana cluster management	100	20
Banana single plant crop with new spacing	45	15
Lime cultivation under irrigation	10	2
Training and pruining of mango	12	4
Grape planting	4	2500 plants