Features
Let us grow crops to feed people
By Dr Lal Jayasinghe
laljayasinghe@hotmail.com
It is not easy for an individual, unless he or she has a special interest, to know what types of food crops, and extents of each, we grow in the country. This is especially true for people living in Colombo. However, lately there has been an increased interest in one crop over others, namely maize or corn. There are two reasons for this. One, because of the attack of the Fall Armyworm or Sena Dalambuwa, and two, because large tracks of land are being given away to grow corn.
It would be interesting to look at the extent of land in Sri Lanka given to all non-rice cereals including maize. Most people associate maize only with the production of Thriposha. This is because in Sri Lanka corn is not a cereal that is consumed to any degree, unlike in some countries of the world. I shall show below what percentage of corn grown in the country is actually used for producing Thriposha, which statistic would surprise many.
The Sri Lankan diet is mainly vegetarian and consists of rice, pulses, fruit and vegetables. The pulses traditionally consumed by Sri Lankans are dhal, green gram, chick pea, cow pea. Soya is also used as (mostly imported) soya protein. Kurakkan and gingelly or sesame are two other cereals consumed to a significant extent. It would therefore be interesting to find out what extents of land are utilised for each cereal crop (other than rice) and the annual production of each. (See figure 1, 2, 3, 4)
It is seen that the average extent of land given over to maize during the period 2010 to 2018 is 53,896 hectares, while the land growing all other six cereals during the same period is 29,724. In other words 1.8 times i.e. nearly twice the land is given over to grow maize which is not eaten by people to any significant extent, when compared to all other non-rice cereals combined, although the latter ones are the ones people eat.
Similarly during the same years, 217,373 metric tons of maize were produced, while only 67,810 metric tons of the other cereals combined were produced. In other words three times as much of maize were grown as kurakkan; green gram, cow pea, soya bean, black gram and gingelly combined. (See figure 5, 6)
Why do we grow maize at the expense of other cereals?
It is obvious that a very large quantity of maize is being grown in Sri Lanka. In fact, an average of 213,604 metric tons of it was produced between 2010 and 2018. Where did it all go? We do not manufacture corn oil, nor do we produce corn flakes. The visible evidence of use of corn is only as boiled corn cobs on the wayside. This is also not very successful because we grow field corn and not sweet corn. I am reliably informed by a knowledgeable monk from Mahiyangana that in the past, people used to grow sweet corn in the hena, which they used as a vegetable. This practice has disappeared with the introduction of high yielding field corn, probably because the newly introduced variety being field corn is not suitable for use as a vegetable.
As will be seen form the table and chart, the bulk of the production goes to make animal feed. Only 3% was used to produce Thriposha. In addition 28% is not accountable.(We can only speculate what happened to nearly a third (28%) of the production, which I shall touch on later.)
People will of course argue that use as animal food is quite rational and there is nothing wrong in devoting twice as much land for growing animal feed when compared to growing cereals for human consumption. This is mostly because of the mistaken belief that animal protein is somehow superior to vegetable protein.
Quite apart from the mistaken belief that we cannot do without animal protein, there are health and environmental costs incurred in the strategy of growing food to feed animals and then feeding animals to people. In order to keep this article to a reasonable length I shall only briefly mention the health and environmental damage caused by meat production and consumption.
First, zoonoses or diseases acquired from animals; take chickens for a start, almost all chicken are bearers of several bacteria that cause gastrointestinal and other diseases namely; salmonella, campylobacter and e-coli. Chicken can also be the source of bird-flu. If we take cattle, they are the source of a large number of possible diseases. The common ones are again salmonellosis, cryptosporidiosis, e-coli infections and giardiasis. The less common are bovine TB, listeriosis, leptospirosis and even anthrax.
In addition to directly being the source of disease causing organisms, rearing animals for food causes another serious health problem because of the use of antibiotics. In order to successfully raise animals for food, they need to be fed growth factors and antibiotics. These substances may remain in the meat that is eventually consumed by people. In addition, the use of antibiotics is particularly dangerous because the practice results in multiplication and spread of bacteria which are resistant to the antibiotics used, which happen to be the same ones used to treat infections in people. As more and more animals are raised and more and more antibiotics are used, the bacteria which are not only living in these animals but in the environment too, will become resistant to the common antibiotics. People are infected by bacteria from the environment and find that the antibiotics prescribed are not effective.
A third health problem is the pollution to water caused by disposal of the waste from animal farms.
These direct ill-health effects of animal farming, are overshadowed by ill-health caused indirectly by the damage to the wider environment by global warming.
“Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth” This is the headline of an article in the Guardian newspaper of 31st May 2018, reporting on a study in the journal Science: Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers J. Poore and T. Nemecek Science 360 (6392), 987-992.
“A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use,” said Joseph Poore, at the University of Oxford, UK, who led the research. “It is far bigger than cutting down on your flights or buying an electric car,” he said, as these only cut greenhouse gas emissions.”(See figure 7)
Redrawn from: J. Poore and T. Nemecek Science 360 (6392), 987-992
Another statistic reported in the same article gives the following figures for production of greenhouse gases (GHG) in producing 100 gms. of protein:
Beef 305 Kg
Cheese 18 kg
Chicken 12 Kg
Pulses 1.8 Kg
These figures collected from the above quoted article were compiled by collecting data from a large number of countries who used chemical fertilizer to varying degrees. If the pulses were to be grown in Sri Lanka entirely organically; the amount of GHG produced would be much less than 1.8 Kg or even carbon negative if we reused the crop waste to improve the soil.
In Sri Lanka as maize is used as a cash crop rather than a food crop, and the motive is profit, and safety takes a second place to yield, there is no compulsion to avoid or reduce the use of chemical fertilizer or pesticides. Specially pesticides, in view of the Slow Armyworm invasion.
Unfortunately some of this maize i.e. 3% is used to make Thriposha which is given to infants and pregnant women. It is theoretically possible that some of the pesticide is present in the maize used. (do we test the maize for toxins before incorporating it into Thriposha?). It would be preferable if it could be ensured that the maize used in the Thriposha is organically grown.
Economics
Let us now deal with the economic case for growing our own food. As stated earlier, in Sri Lanka there are five cereals other than rice that are consumed to a significant extent, namely dhal, green gram, chick pea, cow pea and soya. Out of these dhal or red lentil mainly is by far the most used. There is no valid or special nutritional reason that I know of why this should be the case. It is only custom and no one has tried to change it. In addition dhal does not grow in Sri Lanka (more than likely we have not tried hard enough or selected suitable varieties) But, if one looks at the economics, it is obvious we are wasting valuable foreign exchange when we have a number of alternative pulses such as green gram cowpea etc which grow perfectly well in Sri Lanka.
The unaccounted maize
As was stated earlier 28% of the maize cannot be accounted for. The uses of maize are limited. It is used directly as a food cereal; for animal feed, to make corn oil, to make corn flakes, and in small quantities for corn flour, popcorn and as a vegetable or snack.
Similar to other cereals like wheat and barley maize too can be used to make alcohol. We do not have information whether maize is used in Sri Lanka to make alcohol, but between 2013 and 2018 a huge quantity of alcohol was produced in Sri Lanka as shown below:
Source: Dept. of Excise Annual report 2018
For a small country like Sri Lanka with a population of only 22 Million or so, a huge amount of alcohol is produced. In 2018 it amounted to 36.5 Million litres of absolute alcohol. This is only the legally manufactured alcohol. We do not know how much alcohol is distilled illegally in Sri Lanka.
As everyone knows alcohol is produced by fermenting starch followed by distillation. In most countries wheat, barley, rye and grapes are used to legally manufacture alcoholic spirits. Maize as well as rice too could be used as the base cereal. It is generally stated that 1 ton of cereal is required to make 400 litres of alcohol. If that were true, to make 36.5 M litres it would require, 89000 tons of cereal. In 2018, the quantity of maize unaccounted for was 104,490 tons. As I said it is only speculation but some or most of it possibly went to make alcohol.
The traditional Sri Lankan diet comprised, in addition to rice several pulses such as green gram, black gram etc and also other cereals like kurakkan or millet. This diet comprising a variety of cereals and pulses together with fruit and vegetables, (which grow throughout the year in home gardens and is readily available), is nutritionally rich and adequate. But, this traditional diet has been gradually altered by growing an alien crop, namely maize which is grown only to feed animals and very possibly to manufacture liquor. To replace the traditionally used pulses, which grow in Sri Lanka, another pulse namely dhal, which does not grow in Sri Lanka, is imported at immense cost in foreign exchange. Is this rational? How did this happen? Who benefits? Should we continue or is it time to once again grow food to feed people?
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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