|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 16 March 2003 |
 |
|
 |
Business |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
The hazards of modern farming techniques It is time Sri Lankan farmers went back to their traditional methods of farming, leaving modern farming techniques aside as the hazards of modern farming are many and varied. The base for traditional or organic farming is naturally recycled material while the base for modern farming is chemical fertiliser, which is a time bomb, said Dr Richard Thornton Smith from the University of Leeds and Emerson College of UK. It is easy to use chemical fertiliser, but the results are damaging and includes soil erosion, environmental pollution, loss of indigenous crop diversity and poorer health among rural people. Farmers cannot make a living through these modern techniques either, but are in debt all the time due to the constant price increases in chemicals. Dr Smith said chemical fertiliser is a huge problem which has been further aggravated by the myth among farmers that excessive use leads to high yields. The poor soil conditions in tropical countries also cause ill effects to surface more quickly than in other countries. He said that although farmers are not aware of this, they face higher risks of being poisoned from chemicals, which they are in direct contact with at the time of usage in their fields or cultivations. There is also proof that the immune, nervous and hormone systems are affected by agro chemicals while people are often prone to known and unknown sicknesses due to their use. s"Therefore, please go back to the traditional methods" requested Dr Smith who added that farmers will not lose anything by going back, but will gain immensely and help future generations to be healthy. He said that organic farming is becoming popular in the West due to its health benefits. In organic farming, soil fertility is built by methods such as composting, crop rotation and crop mixing. People and governments in the West are moving towards organic farming after realising the hazards of using chemical fertiliser. For example, in the UK, three per cent of agricultural products are grown through organic methods and continues to increase. Ten years ago, this was only one per cent. Western governments are providing incentives for people to convert from chemical fertiliser to organic methods. Ten per cent of the land in Switzerland and 25 per cent in Austria are under organic farming at present and increasing daily. Smith said as soon as people become educated on the health and environmental problems related to chemical fertiliser farming, the change will be easy as they will push for it. However, prices of food products made organically keep the masses in the Third World from purchasing them. There will be a ready market for organic food in Colombo as the urban are health conscious, but if they are expensive, tapping a large market will be difficult, he added. Dr Smith said Sri Lanka has not encouraged farmers to grow organic food crops in an organised manner. The time is now opportune, he said, as it will not only reduce foreign exchange moving out of the country for purchases of chemicals, but also bring in foreign exchange by exporting organic food stuffs. Production costs are sometimes high due to the high involvement of labour. Supermarkets also charge higher prices due to the high cost of packaging. All these problems can be solved once the country moves towards organic farming in a large way as the price paid to chemicals can be saved and utilised to grow organic food. Dr Smith has been a university lecturer in soils ecology and sustainable agriculture. He is now a Senior Research Associate of the University of Leeds and a faculty member of Emerson College, Sussex. He is also an Inspector of the International Organic Agriculture accreditation. He comes annually to Sri Lanka to conduct workshops and advise on organic farming. During his stay in Sri Lanka, he will conduct workshops at the Ruhuna and Jaffna Universities and deliver a public lecture at the Organisation of Professional Associations. He has also published a book on organic farming. Presently there are organic farming centres at Avulegama and Galaha. The Centre for Sustainable Farming and Energy is an NGO committed to development of organic agriculture. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
