Sri Lanka has embarked on an ambitious agriculture revival initiative waking up to reality after failed organic farming dream, Agriculture Ministry sources said
The implementation of this initiative has been expedited following the pledge given by United States Permanent Representative to the UN Food and Agriculture Agencies in Rome, Ambassador Cindy McCain to support the country’s agriculture-led economic growth and revitalize vital agricultural production.
However conventional agricultural extension approaches are insufficient to assist farmers in dealing with increasingly complex challenges in the agriculture sector, the agriculture ministry study revealed.
The economic contribution of paddy farmers numbering over 600000 or 9 percent of the total work force was 0.9 percent of GDP and the main issue is to prevent the wastage of their labour while identifying challenges among farmers.
According to this study paddy farmer is working 31 man days per year wasting 334 days without engaging in any productive work or activity.
The gross national income from agriculture was around Rs 698 billion per annum and the revenue from paddy cultivation was Rs 70 billion.
Of the country’s approximately 2.3 million hectares of agricultural land, 80 percent is used for non-plantation food crops, comprising rice, maize, fruits, vegetables and other crops primarily grown on smallholder farms.
About 1.65 million smallholder farmers operate on average less than 2 hectares and contribute 80 percent of the total annual food production.
Under this set up, it is essential to support farmers by developing high-quality technologies and mechanisms through the community development process, the short term plan of the ministry disclosed.
Agriculture Ministry’s current initiative contains short-term, medium-term and long-term remedies based on long-term research data on measures to be taken in relation to main food crop production
Further the Ministry is ready to establish a Dollar Account for the development of the agriculture sector on Sri Lanka’s food security.
Chairman of the Presidential Committee on National Food Security Dr. Suren Batagoda noted that if Sri Lanka’s food security is not established, the people will have to face severe food shortages next year.
This agriculture modernization initiative is aimed at achieving food security, ensure higher and sustainable incomes for farmers, improve production and productivity, and sustainably manage the environment, he added.
Within this policy framework, agricultural programmes and projects will promote deep involvement of the private sector, related to the agriculture, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.
He noted that it will help farmers increase their productivity sustainably by reducing degradation of natural resources (mainly land), improving agricultural technologies and creating off-farm opportunities, while recognizing the growing links between urban and rural growth and employment creation.
The World Bank funded Agriculture Sector Modernization Project is also aligned with the new initiative of improving agricultural productivity and competitiveness to strengthen the links between rural and urban areas and facilitate Sri Lanka’s structural transformation.
However the major issue in the agriculture sector which should be addressed at present was the providing and strengthening rural livelihood sources, employment opportunities in agriculture and along agriculture value chains, as well as market access for the poor, bottom 40 percent, and vulnerable people, thereby improving income sources and livelihood security in lagging rural areas.
