Abrupt shift to organic farming caused agricultural debacle that wrecked economy, reveals Intl study

Over 54 per cent average yield reduction was experienced by Lankan farmers owing to government-imposed ban on import and use of synthetic agrochemicals and fertilizers to promote use of organic inputs in national agriculture, says the findings of an impact assessment study by a global market research company.

The survey titled ‘Sri Lanka: Impact Assessment Study of 2021 Ban on Conventional Pesticides and Fertilizers’ by Kynetec, a market research company headquartered in Newbury, Berkshire, England, says that as a result of the ban the Lankan farmers suffered a 54 per cent or higher yield reduction in rice, maize, tea and upcountry as well as low country vegetable crops.

It said that perhaps the most notable insight of the study was that 25 per cent of Lankan farmers would have considered quitting farming if the ban had continued into 2022 seasons.The research findings, made public at an interactive gathering of Agri industry professionals and subject experts from the local and global arena held at the Water’s Edge, Battaramulla last week, point out that almost all farmers participated in the research study had claimed that it was challenging to purchase conventional Agri-inputs following the chemical ban imposed by the government in April 2021.

This scarcity of inputs yielded a number of logistical as well as economic impacts on farmers. As a result of such impacts 50 per cent farmers were compelled to try purchasing conventional inputs from multiple retail stores while 79 per cent of farmers could not purchase products, they needed due to lack of availability and 80 per cent farmers had to pay higher prices for conventional pesticides.

“While Lankan farmers who were able to produce crops commanded a higher selling price (an increase of 45 per cent) due to national food shortages, this was not enough to offset the adverse impact of higher input costs and lower yields. Farmers noted an increase in spending on conventional pesticides (+67%). Furthermore, over half (51%) registered a reduction in their usual dose rate of their conventional pesticides, while 39% stated that they had reduced application frequency with pesticides,” the study said.

It said: “As a result of the limited availability and reduction in the use of conventional pesticides, a number of impacts came to light with direct or indirect implications to the farm and land environment of Sri Lanka. Specifically, 81% of farmers experienced higher weed infestation – 94% Upcountry and 91% Low-country vegetable farmers as well as 84% tea farmers particularly noted higher weed infestation. In addition, 73% of farmers experienced higher insect infestation – 94% of Upcountry and 91% of Low country vegetable farmers as well as 68% of maize farmers particularly noted higher insect infestation. Apart from that 77% of farmers experienced higher disease infestation – 96% Upcountry and 92% Low country vegetable farmers as well as 70% maize farmers and rice farmers particularly noted higher disease infestation. A one of five Lankan farmers considered using illegal pesticides if the ban would have persisted.

“Given a choice, 75% of Lankan farmers want to use conventional pesticides in the future. The top three reasons driving this preference, in comparison to organic solutions are high control level, better speed of control and ease of usage.

“In April 2021, the Lankan government imposed a ban on the import and use of conventional agricultural chemicals (both fertilizers and pesticides) and actively promoted the use of organic inputs in national agriculture. The move contributed to a reduction in yield and led to a surge in food prices across the country. This, compounded by other challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic further worsened Sri Lanka’s economy in mid-2021.

Later that year (November 2021), the government partially reversed the policy and allowed for the import of chemical inputs for critical export crops. However, subsidies for chemical fertilizers were not reinstated, hence the price food remained high (and in short supply) as the yield of major crops such as rice had not recovered. Given these dire circumstances, there was also concern that developments would lead to an increase in the usage of illegal pesticides.

“As the result of this, CropLife Asia contracted with Kynetec to conduct an independent assessment of the impact of the lack of chemical pesticides and fertilizers nationally on the farming communities, the production of key crops and changes in the extent of illegal pesticide usage in view of the shifting regulatory and policy landscape.”

The research had been conducted through a field work from May 2021 to July 2022 using CAPI (Computer-assisted face-to-face interviewing) approach focusing on Maha season 2021 (ending Feb-March) with a sample of 483 farmers who are a mix of small and mid-size farm enterprises and commercially viable farmers, main decision makers on farm management and farm inputs (seeds, agrochemicals, fertilizers, labour, water etc) selection with more than three years of planting experience and plus want of planting the same crop(s) in the next three years. They comprised 148 rice farmers from the North, Northwest, North central, East and Southern provinces, 80 maize farmers from North Central and Uva Provinces, 38 tea planters from Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces, 49 Upcountry vegetables (cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, tomato and capsicum) farmers from the Central Province, 85 low-country vegetables (brinjal, gourd, pumpkin, chilli, cucumber, okra and tomato) farmers in Northwest, North Central, North and Southern provinces, 83 floriculture (decorative foliage, young plants, indoor pot plants and landscaping plants) farmers from the Uva, Central and Western Provinces.

Addressing the interactive gathering themed “Role of Agric Inputs in Food Security”, Battaramulla, Chairman of CropLife, Chamenda Wijayaratne said that numerous economic and policy mishaps were evident during 2021-2022 period; especially the banning of essential fertilizers, pesticides and other vital Agri inputs resulted in the collapse in overall agriculture productivity.

Wijayaratne said that ranging from Sri Lanka’s sole-staple of rice, all crop sectors including maize, tea, upcountry and low country vegetables suffered substantial negative impacts in the aftermath of short-supplied Agri inputs.

Once renowned as the granary of Asia while being recognized for superior agricultural produce and gifted with unique attributes, Sri Lanka today is experiencing major collapse in overall agricultural productivity. This has resulted in shock waves of food shortages and exorbitant price hikes leading to partial starvation among various socioeconomic strata of the country’s population, he said.