• Latest
  • Trending

Colombo – Matara Expressway: An Agricultural Inheritance

November 1, 2016
Auto Draft

Poson Poya

June 9, 2022
Seasonal Fruities in Our Island Nation

Seasonal Fruities in Our Island Nation

June 9, 2022
Poson and the Mihintale Season

Poson and the Mihintale Season

June 9, 2022
Wine, Hiking & Well-Being

Wine, Hiking & Well-Being

June 8, 2022
Behind the Scenes Green Chefs

Behind the Scenes Green Chefs

June 8, 2022
THE LOOM IS HER GURU

THE LOOM IS HER GURU

May 17, 2022
The Glory of Vesak and The Teaching of Buddha

The Glory of Vesak and The Teaching of Buddha

May 17, 2022
Juicy Tropical Treats: Star Fruits

Juicy Tropical Treats: Star Fruits

May 17, 2022
VISION CARE CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF REVOLUTIONIZING SRI LANKA’S EYE CARE INDUSTRY

VISION CARE CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF REVOLUTIONIZING SRI LANKA’S EYE CARE INDUSTRY

May 13, 2022
Chilling in Arugambay

Chilling in Arugambay

May 13, 2022
MINISTRY OF CRAB RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF ASIA’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS FOR THE EIGHTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR 

MINISTRY OF CRAB RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF ASIA’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS FOR THE EIGHTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR 

May 17, 2022
Safilo Group hosts ‘Buying Day’ marking Carrera’s 65 years of Design and Quality

Safilo Group hosts ‘Buying Day’ marking Carrera’s 65 years of Design and Quality

May 14, 2022
Retail
Friday, July 1, 2022
Subscription
Advertise
  • Home
  • Issues
    • 2022
      • January 2022
      • February 2022
      • March 2022
      • April 2022
      • May 2022
      • June 2022
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Archive
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result

Colombo – Matara Expressway: An Agricultural Inheritance

by
in Features, Slider
0 0
0
Tour the Island’s crop on the Southern Expressway!
Tour the Island’s crop on the Southern Expressway!

Sri Lanka’s dark coppery soil is its ultimate treasure. A soil so fertile that anything can take strong root here, is a common adage. As you voyage along the E01 with the impatience of arriving at the Southern beaches, let your eyes wander to the fringes of the tarmac and behold the Island’s agricultural inheritance.

Words Keshini de Silva   |  Photographs Menaka Aravinda and Geeth Viduranga

The mist of dawn hovered over the Southern Expressway, dissolving with the warmth of the morning. The windows were a blur of emerald, as we sped through the sleek tarmac. With sleepy eyes we focused to make out the view before us.

Thick groves of rubber trees leaning towards the road from various elevations was the first cultivation that we identified. White pigmented trunks make it easy to spot these lithe greens, bowing off the travellers on their way. It’s past the Dodangoda Exit that we enjoyed spectacular views of these sloping beauties growing in strict rows. And throughout the highway these plantations of rubber can be seen, boasting its contribution in putting Sri Lanka amongst the world’s top ten producers of natural rubber.

Coconut trees beckoned our attention with fringed leaves cha-chaing with the wind. Nothing paints a prettier picture of the paradise Island than coconut palms glinting in the sun.

Coconut trees beckoned our attention with fringed leaves cha-chaing with the wind. Nothing paints a prettier picture of the paradise Island than coconut palms glinting in the sun. The tall palms along the beach are the embodiment of enjoyment and tropical heaven. Yet, the copses of coconut that we glimpsed en route to Matara represent the economical importance of this unassuming palm. From its fruit to its root, this tree serves as cooking ingredients, medicine, roof material and lumber for furniture. The estates of the coconut triangle that leans on the E01 span out in acres catering to a never ceasing demand.

As we rushed through Mathugama, a far more exotic palm waved us to slowdown. Elaeis guineensis or the African oil palm stood short and stout, burgeoning rosy smiles in its midst. These red fruits are pulped and refined into oil used for cuisine and body care products. The oil palms’ roots are new to the Island’s earth, yet are holding strong, diversifying the benefits of the agriculture industry that sustained Sri Lanka since the times of yore.

Green silhouettes sway in the glow of morning
Green silhouettes sway in the glow of morning

Clearings of light green stand out from the thick groves as the vehicle plied on. In symmetrical squares the lush cultivation spanned like a sea of lime interrupted by isles of banana or coconut. There’s a sense of calm that sets in as the rice fields drifted into view, paddy sauntering in the the breeze. There’s a soothing feel in watching the buffaloes taking a break from their chores by lounging in their mud baths or a farmer out yonder tending to his crop.

As we crossed over the Bentara Ganga, our view was jarred by fortified concrete. Mangroves filled our flanks, bushy and wild with vines creating ripples in the water. The Highway boards indicated we were in the vicinity of Batuwanhena – Elpitiya. There was a shriek to look left and as our heads turned we were greeted by a scene of glossy flat leaves that draped a thin polished green bark. It was Cinnamon! Crowding plots of land in rows, this spice was ancient Sri Lanka’s most coveted gem. An aroma that lured foreign nations from across Oceans to these shores. Cinnamon plants are short and easily mistaken for young rubber plantations, however the colour of the trunk is a helpful hint.

Rubber, coconut, cinnamon, paddy, cashew, tea, puwak and even the homely banana shrub. The Southern Expressway is not just a quick ride to the glimmering southern coast…

Along our quest to spot Sri Lanka’s various agro crops, we were caught by surprise by a red hue that glowed through the green. It was the dwarf cashew tree showing off its flat leaves shaded in red. As the orchard sped past (too fast to click a photo!), I felt a pang of hunger and a tingle in my tongue for something spicy. Cooked or roasted, this creamy nut is much-craved for.

On the home stretch to Matara, the Island’s famous symbol stole our attention. Tea bushes concealed low-lying hills and surrounded pint-sized houses. Here tea does not take over the slopes to create a carpet of green. This truly Southern scene shows pruned tea bushes co-existing with the tangled wild of the terrain. As we breathed in this view, an unusual palm swayed into the window. Towering over the tea fields was a row of puwak (areca palm) the lanky cousin of the coconut tree. This is the mother plant of the betal nut, the kernel chewed with betal leaf, a traditional past time that colours the mouths of its consumer crimson.

Rubber, coconut, cinnamon, paddy, cashew, tea, puwak and even the homely banana. The Southern Expressway is not just a quick ride to the glimmering southern coast, it’s a tour of the paradise Island’s bountiful crop.

TweetShareShare

Search

No Result
View All Result

Recent News

Auto Draft

Poson Poya

Seasonal Fruities in Our Island Nation

Seasonal Fruities in Our Island Nation

Poson and the Mihintale Season

Poson and the Mihintale Season

Explore Sri Lanka

Explore Sri Lanka Online, the web edition of Sri Lanka’s leading monthly corporate publication. Founded in 1996, the magazine currently has a distribution of over 6,000 copies island-wide.

Recent News

  • Poson Poya
  • Seasonal Fruities in Our Island Nation
  • Poson and the Mihintale Season

Find Us

Address : BT Options 536,
R. A. De Mel Mawatha,
Colombo 03,
Sri Lanka
(+94 11) 259 7991
(+94) 715 134 134
info@btoptions.com
btoptions.com

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 Explore Sri Lanka | Designed by Lithic Labs

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Issues
    • 2022
      • January 2022
      • February 2022
      • March 2022
      • April 2022
      • May 2022
      • June 2022
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Archive

© 2022 Explore Sri Lanka | Designed by Lithic Labs

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In