Self-sufficiency in fruits, vegetables not far off -Agri Business Council

by Shirajiv SIRIMANE

Sarath de Silva	Ariyaseela Wickramanayake

The end of the war and the recent election victories for the government and President Mahinda Rajapaksa have paved the way for creating a strong government and Sri Lanka can now look at achieving self sufficiency in rice, fruits and vegetables, dairy industry and many other areas.

With the liberation of the North East, the Lanka land bank has increased opening up vistas of opportunities for the agricultural sector. In addition it is also providing the much needed work for the industry. The opening of the A-9 Highway, the removal of check points and the construction of rail track to Jaffna would enable the Northern products to reach the South more economically and thus minimise post harvest loss.

Self sufficiency in paddy is a dream Sri Lanka can now look forward to by the end of this year.

One of the main reasons for this illusive dream to come true is the government’s highly acclaimed idea of providing Urea subsidy for the industry.

One of the leading agriculturists in Sri Lanka Sarath de Silva says that similarly Sri Lanka could reach the self sufficiency in fruits and vegetables in three years. He said that the current export earnings are around Rs. 7 billion and their aim is to increase this to Rs. 15 billion in two years. “And bulk of the export earning in the future would be from the agricultural sector,” he said.

De Silva, who is the immediate past president of the National Agri Business Council said that Sri Lanka’s agri potential is still under played.

“We have a ready global market and the country has to only feed it to get better returns,” he said.

Sri Lanka has more opportunities to export tea and steps should be taken to tap this potential to increase export earnings.

With the global warming and drought in most parts of the world, the leading agricultural suppliers have taken a beating and therefore Sri Lanka should also exploit this opportunity.

He said that he had introduced several new fruit and vegetable varieties such as dragon fruits, Thai guavas, rose apple, year-around drumsticks, salads, capsicum to the Sri Lankan market and now they are sold in super markets.

“We must now produce them in larger numbers so that they could be exported,” he said.

De Silva who is also the President of the National Chamber of Exporters said that like Ceylon Tea, Sri Lankan pineapples are also world famous and there is a global demand for it. “Unfortunately we can not meet the demand,” he lamented. Similarly, Sri Lanka can not meet even the local demand for cashew nuts.

He said that some of the tea estates owned by the Janatha Estate Development Board and the State Plantations are now reaching superannuation stage. “Government must now take action to either replant or grow other crops in these estates,” he said.

He said this government has given the best deal to the farmers. “However more benefits should be given for the agricultural sector, as done by India. “This can come through subsidies and removal of unwanted taxes during the import of machinery,” he said.

“I am sure with more lands being cultivated in the North and the East, Sri Lanka can reach self sufficiency in fruit and vegetables in 2015,” he added.

Meanwhile the biggest private investor in the livestock industry, Ariya Wickramanayake said that Sri Lanka can reach self sufficiency in milk in three years saving millions of rupees to the country.

He said he opened Sri Lanka’s largest dairy in Palwatte recently. This also has the country’s largest cattle feed factory which could produce 50, 000 metric tons per day.

Wickramanayake who also owns Master Divers said this facility in Pelwatte will help Sri Lanka’s dream of achieving self-sufficiency in milk soon. “To achieve this goal we do not have to import cows. “Lanka’s cattle population is around 1.5 million and less than 300, 000 cows are being milked.”

He said that when the government banned the slaughter of cows the milk production which was 15 percent jumped to 35 percent. Raising the purchase price of a litre of milk to Rs. 40 has also encouraged the farmer.

New Zealand and India are the world’s largest milk suppliers while China Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are the largest buyers of milk powder with over 25 percent of New Zealand’s GDP coming from milk production.

It’s also interesting to note that Sri Lanka spends nearly US$ 1 billion for the import of milk powder and sugar when they can be locally produced.

He said that Sugar too is now being locally manufactured and the country will soon achieve self sufficiency in this sector too.

The government must also encourage more investors specially in the North and the East to invest in these sectors,” he said.