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Farmers already brainwashed by agrochemical lobby – CEJ
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Over 70% of the artificial fertiliser used by Sri Lankan farmers ended up in water sources, Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Hemantha Withanage said yesterday.
“Sri Lankan farmers were given a considerable fertiliser subsidy and our farmers use four times the amount of fertiliser used by their regional counterparts. Successive governments have failed to establish a good extension service and farmers now depend on the advice of fertiliser and pesticide sellers. Sometimes they even use several pesticides at once,” Withanage said.
The farmers had been misled because Sri Lankan governments in the last 40 years had allowed the agrochemical industry to formulate our agricultural policies, Withanage said.
“Our farmers use excessive amounts of fertiliser for several reasons. Being exposed to propaganda is one, another serious issue is that tonnes of topsoil per acre, in certain agricultural lands in the central province, is washed away annually. This is because the farmers do not know about soil management,” he said.
Moreover, the hybrid seeds imported from countries, like Malaysia, needed chemical fertilis er. Export crops like tea also needed a lot of fertiliser.
“Making our agricultural organic is not easy or something that can be done overnight. Converting large scale tea plantations into organic farms is exceedingly difficult. In the last 45 years we have used so many toxins, soil in most agricultural zones are infertile. There are no natural bacteria or insects in these soils. It will take some time to restore the soil,” he said.
Withanage said Cuban farmers had told him that it took between three to five years to successfully introduce organic agricultural practices to a farm. The government must also look at restoring the diversity of our seed and plant varieties, the CEJ Executive Director said.
Sri Lanka, which once had 3,000 paddy varieties, 700 banana varieties and 60 kurakkan and gingelly varieties, now was left with only hybrid seeds in abundance, he said.
“We can’t import compost. Alien micro-organisms will enter the country and the impact of these new entrants will have devastating impacts. Importing urban waste is not a good idea because these contain a lot of toxins. We can’t win farmers over to organic agriculture by song and dance, the government has to send instructors who know about organic agricultural methods to farms,” he said.
CEJ Executive Director said that the yahapalana administration spent Rs. 250 million to promote organic agriculture. However, since there was no mechanism to educate and encourage the farmers, people became more skeptical about organic agriculture. The Gotabaya Rajapaksa government should be mindful of it and half-hearted and ill planned initiatives would only make people distance themselves further from organic agricultural practices, he said.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
