Features
An integrated program to develop agriculture in Sri Lanka
By Cecil Dharmasena
Retired – Regional Deputy Director (Research), Agriculture Department
Retired – Director (Forestry & Environment), Mahaweli Authority cecildharmasena@gmail.com)
The sudden proposal to ban the import and use of chemical fertilisers and agro-chemicals (such as pesticides and weedicides) with the objective of switching over one hundred percent to organic farming practices on an immediate basis, is unwise and impractical.
The objectives of toxin-free farming, a clean environment and a healthy population is laudable. But a drastic switch over should be carefully and rationally planned so as not to cause chaos, confusion and a possible food shortage as well as significant loss in export earnings. This latter is not something we can afford at the present juncture when we are struggling to survive under a sinking world economy due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The first priority is to appoint a scientific committee consisting of Senior Agriculture Department Scientists (including retired specialists) along with specialists from the Department of Minor Export Crops (MEC), Department of Animal Production and Health (AP&H), Irrigation Department (Water Management), Mahaweli Authority, the Plantation Sector (Tea, Rubber and Coconut) and the Universities, to prepare a national plan on the feasibility of organic farming along with proposals to improve the entire agricultural sector on a national scale.
The recently appointed “Task Force” appears to lack the above expertise.
The following guidelines should be considered:
1. Recognising and updating the relevant Departments and connected Authorities and Institutions (i.e. Agriculture, MEC, AP&H, Irrigation, Agrarian Services/Marketing, Mahaweli, Plantations etc.) so as to co-ordinate the total agriculture and food production effort on a national basis. Either bring all these institutions under one Ministry (Agriculture) or create a powerful Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Authority, the former being the better option.
2. Make an in-depth study on the present status of organic farming as against use of chemical fertilisers / agrochemicals in each major sector such as paddy, other field crops, vegetables, fruits, MEC / Spices, cut-flower (floriculture), plantation crops etc. The degree to which organic methodology can be introduced scientifically and profitably, should be assessed.
3. To prevent sub-standard imports and use of contaminated, low quality fertilisers / agrochemicals including organic manures, etc., establish a quality testing laboratory and a system of strict rules and regulations on quality for both imported and locally manufactured items. High quality chemical fertilisers / agrochemicals are toxin free and should be applied at the correct dosage. The problem is, due to substandard items being imported and applied in excessive amounts, thus causing toxicity and pollution in the soil and water sources.
4. Since Organic Manures and other organic products are required in very large quantities as against chemical fertilisers / agrochemicals, assess the possibility of production on the required scale on an island-wide basis along with storage capacity, transport and application systems on a large scale.
5. Explore the possibility of local manufacture of chemical fertilisers (N, P and K) and other agrochemicals (pesticides, weedicides, inoculum etc.) using local raw-materials such as the Eppawela Rock Phosphate deposit. Part of these items could be lucratively exported.
6. Accelerate Research Programs on organic practices, high-tech farming (Green Houses etc.), Integrated Pest Management (IPM) etc. Research Institutes and Universities should coordinate this effort to upgrade biological pest and disease control, traditional agronomic techniques, plant breeding for high yield and resistance, bio-fertilizers etc.
7. Presently, most seed material (other than paddy) is imported. Government seed farms which were sold to the private sector should revert back to government, be upgraded and geared to produce our entire seed requirement. Import of seed should be phased out. Local varieties must be improved and once again popularized. A national seed production and distribution system should be established. Traditional varieties can be promoted for a niche (organic) market.
8. The former Extension Service of the Agriculture Department has broken down since the establishment of the Provincial Council system. This essential service has to be fully resurrected through fresh recruitment, training and thereafter strengthening the district-wise advisory service. This requires urgent upgrading of the Schools of Agriculture (Farm Schools), the Practical Farm Schools (one-year certificate), In-Service Training Institutes and the Agriculture Service Centres (ASC) for training of staff and farmers and providing all agrarian services to farmers at village level.
9. A strong “Agrarian Services Authority” must be established with modern, computerised data gathering capability. Organise district-wise state sponsored purchasing centres, transport and distribution, storage (including cold storage), value adding / preserving (including research and development), packaging, marketing, export and retail services through CWE, Sathosa, Co-ops, Registered Franchise Shops, private supermarkets etc. Establish price-control mechanisms, Crop Insurance and farmer loan schemes. Revamp the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) and set up government Rice Mills and storage complexes island wide.
10. Create Farmer Societies or Co-operatives at village level which can counter exploitation by middlemen. These societies should operate with the Agrarian Service Authority so as to stabilise prices to the farmer and consumer as well. Wastage and crop losses can be minimised while over-production, under-production, wrong timing of output (weather and season based), distribution problems, and a chaotic marketing system can be avoided. In fact, we can easily reduce the extents of inefficiently cultivated agricultural lands (as happens today) and put such lands back under forest cover (especially in the hill-country region) while producing the same (or higher) quantities of fruits and vegetables and other field crops. A modernised and computerised national production plan with the proper Extension and Agrarian Services to guide it, can easily achieve this goal.
11. Similarly, the Animal Production / Dairy Production sectors must also be brought under this national plan so as to prevent manipulation of prices and the market. Uncontrolled import of poultry / eggs, meat and dairy products has to be phased out. Local production should be radically improved to meet our total demand.
12. The present monopoly in rice milling and paddy marketing has to be eliminated with strict state intervention. The state should also control import of essential food items in relation to vagaries in local production. “Food for the Nation” should be considered an “essential service” where hoarding, not declaring stocks, manipulating imports and exports and creating artificial shortages, etc,. are considered serious offences. New legislation in this regard is essential.
The above twelve points should be seriously considered by the Scientific Committee. Organic farming and reverting back to ancient techniques and traditional varieties and practices are somewhat idealistic goals.
Feeding a population of 22 million people with limited arable land, a serious shortage of farm labour and a very limited water supply (made worse by climate change and increasingly adverse weather patterns) is not an easy task. It cannot be done with home-garden agriculture and traditional cultivation techniques. This was possible over a century ago when our population was around one million with a forest cover of over 80%. Today, the forest cover has dropped to 17% and there is no way we can reduce this anymore. In fact, we should increase our forests (especially in the hill country) to 30% or more. Therefore, the output (yield) per unit of agricultural land has to be a maximum.
Political slogans such as “land of the landless” are no longer tenable. Land is precious and only the minimum necessary should be utilized for agriculture, urban development and infrastructure development while the rest should remain under forest cover if we are to save our fragile environment and thereby the precious water sources. This is especially relevant due to our massive increase in population.
Therefore, a “National Land Use Plan” and a “National Agriculture Production Plan” rather than ad-hoc agriculture is the only way to save the environment, produce sufficient food and avoid the human-elephant conflict and pest and disease epidemics.
Under these circumstances, a complete switch over to organic farming without addressing the above issues, is not a risk worth taking.
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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