Aren’t they tasty?

Grape cultivators in Jaffna are in for good times as their produce will be made sweeter with new pruning and cultivation methods that will be introduced by agricultural research officers. The sourness of grapes has been a major drawback to grapevine farmers making a living off the crop.

Senior Research Officer (Horticulture), Field Crops Research and Development Institute, Mahailluppallama S.G. Piyadasa said that at the stage of ripening, a few fruits in the bunch develop colour. When 30 percent of the fruits in the bunch develop colour, irrigation should be stopped to allow the soil around the vine to dry.

"When harvesting the grower should select the bunches where all the fruits have developed colour uniformly. Farmers are of the view the ripe fruits in the bunch will fall if the bunch is kept on the vine for a long period," Piyadasa said.

He said that this method will help increase the sugar (brix) content of the fruits and it will have an attractive colour. It will help farmers to get a good price for their produce.

Last season the farmers in Dambulla who followed this method sold a kilogram of grapes at Rs. 400 while farmers in Jaffna sold it for Rs.180.
- Lalin Fernandopulle