Green
Heritage
Sri Lankan farming has long depended on careful use of water, forest and soil. This page describes those traditions and how buyers and producers work with us.
Managing the
Water Cycle
The story of water management in Sri Lanka goes back to the island's ancient kingdoms. The Sinhalese kings built reservoirs and canals to store monsoon rain and carry it to farmland through the dry months.
King Parakramabahu the Great is recorded as saying: "Let not even a small quantity of water obtained by rain go to the sea without benefitting man." The principle guided how tanks were planned and linked. The result is known as the "Ellangawa", or village tank cascade system, in which water released from one tank flows on to the next.
These "wewas" (reservoirs) did more than store water. Builders planted trees such as the kumbuk along the banks, which were traditionally relied on to keep the water clean. They also used a "bisokotuwa" (valve pit) to regulate the pressure of the outflow and prevent erosion.
Historical Note
The Yodha Ela is one of the old canals built to carry stored water from one reservoir to another.
Biodiversity, water and communities
Biodiversity
Ancient Sri Lankan culture, shaped by Buddhist teaching, held that all life should be protected. Mihintale is remembered in that tradition as an early sanctuary for wildlife.
- Many crops in one garden
- Trees, vines and ground crops together
- Wildlife protected by tradition
Water Stewardship
In a village tank cascade, water released from one reservoir flows on to the next one downstream, so the same water serves more than one village on its way to the sea.
- Reservoirs that store monsoon rain
- Canals that carry water to fields
- Trees planted along the banks
Communities
In the Kandyan forest garden model, a family grows food, timber and spices together in one multi-storey garden, and lives from the land it tends.
- Producers can apply to list products
- Applications reviewed by the export team
- Enquiries answered in writing
The Kandyan
Home Garden
The Kandyan home garden is a traditional agroforestry system from Sri Lanka's central highlands. Many plant species, from tall coconut palms to ginger at ground level, grow together on one plot.
Little is wasted in these gardens. Leaves falling from the albizia trees supply nitrogen to the pepper vines that climb them. Cattle graze the understorey and their manure feeds the tea bushes.
Home gardens of this kind are one of the ways spices are grown in Sri Lanka. To see which products we supply, browse the product catalogue or request a quote.
How We Work. Truly Ceylon.
What buyers and producers can expect when they deal with us.
Product Information
Each product in the catalogue has its own page that says what the product is and how it is packed. Ask the export team about any detail that is not shown there.
Shipping Terms
Shipping terms are agreed for each order. Tell us the quantity you need and your destination port, and the written quotation will set out the terms we can offer.
Sri Lankan Producers
Sri Lankan producers can apply to list their products with Truly Ceylon through the partner programme. The export team reviews each application and replies by email.
Documents and Reports
Documents and test reports can be discussed for each order. Tell us what your market requires when you ask for a quote, so that we can answer before you order.
"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children."