Udara working on her 10-acre farm. (Picture Facebook)
A Sri Lankan woman who went to Japan to follow tourism management is today making a dream living out of agriculture. That too against heavy odds – one debacle being her fear of worms.
She is Udara Sankalpani, who is cultivating vegetable on a ten-acre plot almost single-handedly after studying agriculture, a field she ventured into reluctantly on the consistent persuasion of her Japanese husband.
Udara, who was born in Devalegama in Kegalle, left for Japan in 2006, says her husband, Akio Kametani, took her for an interview to be selected for a course in an agricultural university against her wishes.
She thinks he had correctly guessed she had a green thumb despite her fear of earthworms. “I dressed up in clothes unsuitable for a formal interview thinking that I would be rejected, but the opposite happened,” Udara tells Colombo-based Aruna newspaper.
The interview board grilled extensively about her past and what she was doing in Japan, and in the end, she was one of the three selected to follow the course out of 15 hopefuls. She thinks her only positive comment during the interview was that she enjoyed spending her leisure time surrounded by trees.
The training was hard. “The first two months were spent on learning the basics of farming, including the use of the heavy machinery. During the second phase, I was asked to select a crop for farming,” she said.
Her choice was asparagus. “It is similar to our own kohila (Lasia spinosa) and takes about three years to grow. It is popular and pricy and can be harvested continuously for 20 years.”
During the third phase of the degree, she had to work on a farm for a year as an apprentice without a salary and with rigid conditions. She had to work six days a week from 8 am to 5 pm and from 5.30 am to 3 pm for two months.
Udara faced many challenges during this period as her son was only five years old. She credits her husband for helping and encouraging her all the way.
Udara met her husband after completing her tourism degree at an exhibition. Akio, who works as a teacher, took her by surprise when he spoke in fluent Sinhala. She found out later that he had been teaching Japanese in Awukana area in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, for several years.
In 2018 Udara, started her 10-acre farm on the beautiful hilly village of Asuka with two large nurseries for a variety of vegetables like Romaine lettuce, broccoli and spinach. “Japan has strict laws regarding farming. It is illegal to keep land fallow. Since the majority of Japanese are elderly unable to engage in tough work like agriculture, it is easy to find land. I have obtained my farmland free on a lease which can be renewed every ten years.”
Udara, who is now 36 years old, markets her products under “Turtle Feet” label. Explaining why she selected this particular name, she says on her Facebook page the first word relates to something in the Japanese culture and the second part of the name came from her favourite fashion house in Sri Lanka, Barefoot.
She takes care of her crops from planting to marketing. “Before 8.30 in the morning, I make about 100 packets of vegetables and transport to the shops. The standards are very rigid here. The use of chemical fertilizer has to be done according to government rules. I have to forward a list to the shops about my products for three days in advance.”
Japanese are not very fond of eating spinach, but she is trying to popularise the leafy vegetable among them. As a result of her experiments, she had introduced a range of spinach products like ice cream, noodles, soups and a powder. Her spinach and parippu – lentil – curry are becoming famous in her area.
Udara who was born in Dewalegama, Kegalle, studied at St. Bernadette College in Polgahawela and Kegalle Girls’ College. She had got through Japanese at her AL exam and was fluent in the language before she left for Japan.
She has also grown several drumstick – murunga (Moringa oleifera) – trees. Udara says some Japanese believe that murunga is bad for pregnant women.
Udara’s love for her adopted country is quite evident in her Facebook posts. Like the Sri Lankan village she grew up till Udara was 20 years old, Akusa is stunningly beautiful with a lot of cultural, religious festivals against the backdrop of Buddhist temples, village fairs and many other community activities. There are also photos of school children volunteering in her farm and people visiting her cultivation.
In a video she is seen preparing a plant nursery humming a Sinhala song.
Unlike in Sri Lanka, she has to put up with unpredictable weather patterns, which can be quite daunting. “It is difficult to cultivate the same crop throughout the year due to the extreme changes in climate. The summer is sweltering, making it very difficult to water the plants. During the rainy season, it becomes quite easy. ”
Japanese are quite serious about daily weather reports. They adjust their life according to the changes in the climate, and I am no exception as I am engaged in an occupation which is at the mercy of the Weather Gods,” Udara adds. (Courtesy: Aruna and Facebook)
