Re-generative agricultural farmers felicitated in Uva

by K.A. Jayasinghe PERERA

The felicitation of hundred farmers in the Uva Province engaged in preserving and promoting indigenous rice varieties was held in Badalkumbura, Katugahagalge village community centre recently.

The chief guest at the occasion was Kumarasiri Ratnayake Minister of Irrigation, Highways, Co-operatives and Consumer Affairs of the Uva Provincial Council.

Agricultural scientists, medical practitioners and food technologists are of the view that our traditional rice varieties, such as Suwandel and Heenati have medicinal value. Kurakkan, Meneri, Green gram and Kollu are nutritious. That is what our grandmothers fed us in the villages in Moneragala or Hambantota.

G.A. Prabath Kumara CEO of Future In Our Hands and Programme Director of Uva Farmers Collective of Poison-Free Agriculture said - the month of March 2011 was important from many view points.

Firstly, International Women's Day fell in March. Women are the core members with regard to agriculture, according to Sri Lankan culture. Women are a part of Sri Lanka agriculture, because in paddy and Chena cultivation it is women who nurture the seeds.

Secondly, President Mahinda Rajapaksa initiated the one million household economic units also in March. He was able to touch the pulse of the common man, in the village and plantation together.

Further the President was able to tackle, not only the economic factor, but also the nutritional factor collectively.

The Uva Farmers Collective (UFCPFA) position is that the President and the Ministry of Economic Development should take further steps to ensure that seeds should not be hybrid, but that local seeds should be used. Farmers should use only compost as fertilizer, not hazardous chemicals, in farming. If this issue is addressed it will be the answer to ecological economics too. Thereby the President's dream of the 'Wonder of Asia' will then become a reality.

K. Sunil Shantha, Manager, Movement for National Land and Agriculture Reforms (MONLAR) said - During the last 30 years, MONLAR was engaged in advocating policies on land reform in village and plantations.

Therefore, every government should treat farmers and fishermen, as the centre of land rights, that is why we support the land issue in Panama and the fishermen's issue in Negombo, without hesitation.

Farmers, fisherfolk and plantation workers, should unite and collectively fight for their land rights.

The long history of cultivation, the presence of cultural diversity and the wide range of ecological landscape situations present in the country have resulted in a wide variety of farming practices in Sri Lanka.

As rice farming is not an overnight wonder, it has evolved while facing challenges imposed by nature like drought, flood, cyclone, epidemics etc. Thus, these skills include various types of best practices, which could be adopted where rice cultivation is concerned.

The writer is a civil activist and environmentalist