A study of factor combination in seed potato production Hewanakumbura Grama Niladari Division

Abstract

The potato can identify as a commercial crop that only second for the paddy and wheat among the main harvest throughout the world. It takes the fourth place among the economical crops. Potato has introduced to Sri Lanka in the early 1850s and the most suitable area for the expansion of potatoes is the area which 4000 feet above sea level. Both “Yala” and “Maha” seasons are cultivated by only Nuwaraeliya and Badulla districts. Except those, Kandy, Ratnapura, Jaffna, and Puttalam cultivate potatoes. There is a high production cost for potatoes and the most for seed potatoes. Hence, the problem of the study is to identify which seed potato combination is influencing the low cost with high production. The sample of the study is 36 farmers who grow potatoes in selected five villages in Hewanakumbura Grama Niladhari Division under a Simple random sampling method. Data in the study is presented in descriptive statistics. Among the methods of obtaining seed potatoes, it was revealed that the best way to obtain high production at low cost is to produce the seed potatoes themselves. The government should intervene in this regard to educate the farmer on the productivity of seed potatoes and modern production methods.