Priority status for agriculture

By L.S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

Sri Lanka has achieved a higher growth rate in agriculture when compared to other developing nations in the world. In its efforts to feed the nation, the farming community is doing its utmost, giving priority to the cultivation of indigenous food crops valuing local traditions. In the Mahinda Chintana - Forward Vision, development of agriculture has been given priority. It envisages modern technology and advanced methods to supplement the age-old traditional practices.

In 2009 the contribution of the agriculture sector to the National Economy stood at 12 percent. Seventy percent of Sri Lankans are occupied in agriculture. Nearly 32 percent of the rural workforce is engaged in agriculture. The annual requirement of rice remains at 2.2 million metric tons and in 2008 Sri Lanka was able to exceed the domestic demand.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Mahinda Chintana Idiri Dakma, stated, “Our national agriculture and our farming community were receiving stepmotherly treatment at the time of my assuming the office of President. Almost all the food items needed by the country were imported. Farmers of agricultural crops, including milk farmers and the fishing community were in a state of total neglect. Essential fertiliser and seeds were exorbitantly priced, whereas the prices of farm products were incredibly low.

I am well aware of the sad history of agriculture - from the days the British conquerors rode on horseback over the fields of Wellassa, to the dark days when farmers took their own lives, unable to pay off their mounting debts.”

“Through the Api Wavamu - Rata Nagamu program, we have fulfilled the objectives of the Mahinda Chintana in the section titled Kethata Arunella.”

Reviewing the progress of the agriculture sector during the last five years, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that plans were afoot to revitalise traditional agriculture in implementing the national campaign to motivate domestic food production - Api Wavamu - Rata Nagamu.

Analysing the challenges faced by Sri Lanka on the food sector, Agriculture Ministry Secretary K.E. Karunatileka said that providing a nutritious meal to all citizens in the country, offering a reasonable price to producers and establishing food security were the challenges the country faced.

“To overcome them the Ministry had to adopt advanced technologies, providing high quality seeds, chemical and organic fertiliser, introducing post-harvest technologies, creating infrastructure facilities and introducing marketing strategies,” the Secretary said.

He said the Ministry achieved the development targets with the cooperation of all Divisions including the Policy Planning and Monitoring Division, Development Division, Agriculture Technological Division, Services Division and Finance Division together with all departments and institutions under the Agriculture Ministry.

He said with the elimination of three decades of terrorism, more lands were brought under paddy cultivation. Development of agriculture and allied programs in the North and the East had been launched under the Uturu Wasanthaya and Negenahira Navodaya programs, he said.

The Secretary said that the country’s paddy production had sharply increased during the last five years - due to the various farmer-friendly projects including a multi-billion fertiliser subsidy program, implemented by the Government.

While the country’s paddy production in 2005 was 156 million bushels, it rose to 200 million bushels in 2010, an increase of 44 million bushels within five years.

Paddy production per acre in 2010 was 86 bushels as against 76 bushels in 2005, he said. The Secretary said the total paddy production in 2010 Yala and Maha seasons will be 4189 MT with the rice production being 2722 MT. This year will be another notable year in which a record production exceeding the country’s rice requirement is feasible.

The Agriculture Ministry with its many departments, institutions and provincial outfits together with the Presidential Secretariat and other line Ministries has launched Api Wavamu - Rata Nagamu as a national programme to develop agriculture.

The main objective of the program was to save foreign exchange in promoting local production of food crops which will eventually lead to cutting down imports.

The Government spends more than Rs. 2,000 billion annually to import essential supplementary food items such as onion, garlic, potatoes, fruits and dhal, which can be locally cultivated.

Special projects under the Api Wavamu - Rata Nagamu program were implemented to develop supplementary food crops such as fruit, vegetables and spices during 2009 and 2010.

Fallow paddy lands were re-cultivated. Home gardening competitions were held and to-date 400,000 home gardens have been established. School-based productivity programs to the value of Rs. 9,407 million have been implemented with the participation of Provincial Education Departments.