Govt's agriculture revival to improve productivity

Sri Lanka has embarked on an ambitious agriculture revival initiative waking up to reality after failed organic farming policies, Agriculture Ministry sources said.

The implementation of this initiative has been expedited following the pledge given by visiting US Permanent Representative to the UN Food and Agriculture Agencies in Rome, Ambassador Cindy McCain to support the country’s agriculture-led economic growth and revitalise vital agricultural production.

However conventional agricultural extension approaches are insufficient to assist farmers in dealing with increasingly complex challenges in the agriculture sector, a Ministry study revealed.

The economic contribution of paddy farmers numbering over 600,000 or 9 per cent of the total workforce was 0.9 per cent 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 are working 31 man days per year wasting 334 days without engaging in any productive work or activity.

The gross national income from agriculture industry 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 per cent 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.

Chairman of the Presidential Committee on National Food Security Dr. Suren Batagoda told the Business Times that if Sri Lanka’s food security is not established, the people will have to face severe food shortages next year.

This agriculture modernisation 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 recognising the growing links between urban and rural growth and employment creation.