Features
A middle path for Sri Lankan agriculture: Sustainable intensification – PART I
By Prof. W.A.J.M. De Costa
Senior Professor and Chair of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya
Sri Lankan agriculture appears to be recovering from its recent upheavals brought about by the ill-fated experiment of converting to 100% organic overnight. However, some of the core issues that existed prior to the ‘100% organic agriculture experiment’ remain. These issues bring in to focus the long-term sustainability of Sri Lankan agriculture and its capacity to ensure national food security while ensuring a reasonably prosperous livelihood to its farmer community. The social dialogue and the consequent increase in awareness during the ‘100% organic agriculture experiment’ and its aftermath highlights the need to modernize Sri Lankan Agriculture by infusing new technologies and be in better shape to meet the challenges posed by climate change and concerns on environmental and food safety. The current phase of partial recovery from the recent crises affords a ‘window of opportunity’ to shift from long-held views and practices and embark on a new pathway which addresses both the food security concerns as well as the sustainability concerns while taking on board the need to be climate resilient and eco-friendly. However, the recent steps taken by the Sri Lankan authorities (e.g. provision of the full quota of the inorganic fertilizer triple super phosphate and diesel free of charge to farmers etc.) and the demands of the farming community (e.g. heavily-subsidized or free inorganic fertiliser, unrestricted availability of synthetic agrochemicals, full compensation for crop losses, etc.) brings in to question whether a ‘window of opportunity’ for Sri Lankan Agriculture to be technologically-advanced, climate-resilient and eco-friendly is being missed. This article discusses ‘Sustainable Intensification’ as an option, which is worth considering when striving to achieve the above-mentioned multiple goals of future Sri Lankan Agriculture.
What is Sustainable Intensification (SI)?
Sustainable intensification (SI) refers collectively to strategies and practices that aim to increase crop yields without adverse environmental impacts and without expanding the presently-cropped area. Increasing yields generally requires greater investment of land resources (i.e. nutrients, water, energy etc.). Sustainable intensification aims to achieve yield increases with a proportionately lower increase in resource use (i.e. ‘producing more with less’). As such, SI aims to conserve and, possibly, regenerate the resource base (i.e. land, soil fertility, water, biodiversity, etc.) while meeting the food demand of a continuously increasing population. Climate change adds an overarching layer of challenges on all SI strategies. This short article identifies SI strategies that are feasible in crop production systems in Sri Lanka. It then explores how the additional challenges posed by climate change on the feasible SI strategies may be addressed.
The challenges faced by the food production systems in Sri Lanka
The global population which reached 8 billion in 2022 is projected to rise to 9.7 billion in 2050 and 11 billion in 2100. The corresponding trend in Sri Lanka is different where the current (March 2023) population of 21.65 million (0.27% of the global population) is projected to rise to 22.19 million in 2040 (0.24% of global). The annual rate of population growth in Sri Lanka which was 2.43% in 1967 has almost continuously declined to the present rate of 0.42% in 2020. These demographic trends will, to a certain extent, lessen the pressures exerted on food production targets and the demands exerted on essential environmental resources. However, many other natural and socio-economic drivers are likely to increase these pressures. Climate change is one such driver where the temperatures in key agroecological regions have been shown to have increased at rates which are greater than that of the global average temperatures. The recent economic down-turn and short-sighted government policies have combined to reduce the capacity of farmers to invest in essential inputs such as fertiliser, good quality seed and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in crop management. This has left the soils impoverished and imbalanced in terms of essential plant nutrients and crops susceptible to a range of biotic (e.g. diseases and pests) and abiotic stresses (e.g. drought, heat, salinity, climate change).
Inadequate investment in research and development has left the national agricultural research system (NARS) severely depleted so that generation of new technologies through research to overcome these challenges has slowed down to a trickle. Similarly, the national agricultural extension network has been depleted, fragmented and made ineffective during the last three decades, thus depriving the farmers of knowledge and advise on existing and emerging technologies to overcome the challenges faced by them. Furthermore, arguably, Sri Lankan agriculture and its farmers have, for a long time, been dependent on cultivation practices which are heavily reliant on addition of large quantities of external inputs (e.g. inorganic fertilizer, synthetic pesticides and fossil fuel).
There has been inadequate attention, willingness and effort on the part of all stakeholders to introduce and engage in agricultural practices which are less demanding on external inputs and aim to regenerate and replenish the resource pool in the croplands that are being used to produce the crops. Now, the Sri Lankan Agriculture is at a critical juncture where the substantially reduced economic capacity to provide external inputs (e.g. inorganic fertilizer, fossil fuel, synthetic pesticides) has forced its stakeholders to explore options and avenues which will enable them to meet the national agricultural production targets with reduced inputs. Thus, I would argue that we have a ‘window of opportunity’ to steer the Sri Lankan Agriculture towards a more sustainable pathway while engaging in efforts to increase its productivity. This is where ‘Sustainable Intensification’, comes in to focus for Sri Lanka at the present juncture.
Strategies for Sustainable
Intensification (SI) in Sri Lanka and required paradigm shifts
Any SI strategy should satisfy three criteria for it to be implementable, effective, and adopted by the farmers. First and foremost, the strategy should be based on valid scientific principles. In addition, its environmental cost should be minimum. Furthermore, the strategy should be within the economic capability of the potential end-users (e.g. farmers) and also socially and culturally acceptable. The specific SI strategies that satisfy the scientific, environmental and socio-economic criteria are different for different scales of agricultural production. Accordingly, the strategies that may be applicable to large scale and extensive production systems such as plantation crops and paddy would be different from the SI strategies that are suitable in small-scale and subsistence farming systems which produce a high proportion of the Other Field Crops (OFCs) and vegetables in Sri Lanka.
Some key paradigm shifts are essential in identifying feasible SI strategies for different production systems in Sri Lanka. Currently, the specific crops (and specific crop varieties) are selected via a crop-based approach, which is determined by climatic and soil considerations as well as by economic (e.g. market forces) and social considerations (e.g. farmer preference) with little consideration on sustaining and regenerating the resource base (e.g. nutrient recycling, soil conservation etc.). Selection of crops to be grown based on a ‘Cropping Systems Approach’ (instead of a crop-based approach) constitutes a key paradigm shift in moving Sri Lankan Agriculture towards SI. A cropping systems approach considers the crop as one component of a broader faming- and eco-system which includes the soil resource base, water resources, biodiversity, natural vegetation, livestock, wildlife, industries, marketing channels and the socio-cultural setting. Such a paradigm shift forces all key players (e.g. farmers, researchers, extensionists and policy makers) to explore the possibility of increased adoption of crop rotations, crop mixtures (e.g. intercropping), cover crops, ‘crops for the period between seasons’ and fallowing, where minimising resource losses and maximising resource recycling are given due consideration in decision-making.
A second paradigm shift that is needed for SI of Sri Lankan Agriculture is to shift focus from attempting to maximise yield per unit land area to maximise yield per unit of limiting resources (e.g. maximizing yield per unit of water used and yield per unit of nitrogen used, etc..). This requires a significant shift of focus in crop improvement programmes through plant breeding from developing higher yielding varieties to developing varieties with greater resource use efficiency which give an adequate, but not necessarily the highest, yield. Greater emphasis should be accorded to the improvement nutritional quality during the development of new crop varieties to address the growing concerns about increasing malnutrition.
Developing perennial rice varieties (i.e. a variety of rice that will yield a crop for 4-5 seasons from the same plant), an initiative that is being pursued in the US and tested in China, could reduce the economic and environmental cost of rice production. Development of these new resource-efficient and more nutritious crop varieties should be accompanied by the development of a range of new agronomic crop management practices/strategies/packages which focus on the key requirements of SI (i.e. sustainability of the resource base). In particular, these strategies include irrigation and water management practices which minimize evaporative losses while maximizing efficient delivery and uptake and nutrient management practices to minimize leaching and volatilization losses while releasing the nutrients which are fixed in the soil minerals. In this regard, the potential of new technologies such as drones, artificial intelligence, machine learning and the Internet of things needs to be harnessed in developing new crop management packages to provide detailed location-specific information to optimize resource use in crop production.
Shifting from single strategy-based crop management to integrated crop management is the third paradigm shift that is needed to move Sri Lankan Agriculture towards SI. Most single strategy-based crop management practices (e.g. crop protection, nutrient management etc.) are heavily reliant on inorganic and synthetic substances. Broadening the strategies used and thereby reducing their reliance on synthetic substances during crop protection (e.g. Integrated Pest Management) and nutrient management (Integrated Nutrient Management) addresses one of the key requirements of SI by ensuring protection of the agroecosystem and its services (e.g. biodiversity, clean water, safer food etc.). Integrated nutrient management should include strategies to harness the potential of biochar (charcoal-like material containing highly stable carbon obtained by burning any type of biomass in a zero-oxygen environment) to improve the fertility of Sri Lankan soils. (To be condluded)
This article is adapted from a keynote address delivered by the author at the 3rd International Symposium on Agriculture organized by the Faculty of Agriculture of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka on the theme ‘Self-Sustaining Agriculture: Way forward for food security and safety’ on the 9th of March 2023. It has incorporated valuable comments on a first draft from Raj Gonsalkorale, Suchira Peiris, Vijith Gunawardena and Parakrama Jayasinghe.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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