Caritas Valvuthayam, under the project called ‘Steppingstone to Safeguarding Sri Lanka’s Natural Environment’, selected 100 farmers in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to promote climate resilient perennial crop cultivation namely coconut, cashew and TJC in Mannar and Vavuniya. Depending on the land availability and beneficiary preference, each farmer was distributed Rs. 20,000.00 value of perennial plants and a cash distribution of Rs.5,000.00 to each farmer for the promotion of intercropping (groundnuts, papaya, chili, green gram, pumpkin, etc) as means of sustainable income for the poor farmers. The total distribution of perennial crops are: coconut – 4990, Cashew – 1160, TJC – 1535.

In order to enhance the knowledge and skills of the rural farmers, exposure visits organized and conducted training program on micro-irrigation, and climate smart agriculture. With the instruction, guidance and support of Caritas Valvuthayam, farmers have successfully planted the perennial crops adopting intercropping systems. Finally, the Intercropping has allowed farmers to cultivate multiple crops simultaneously. This diversification has lead the farmers to enjoy several benefits like biodiversity, quick yields, increased income, soil conservation, and resource maximization.