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MONLAR rejects proposed National Agricultural Policy
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR) yesterday alleged that the proposed National Agricultural Policy put forth by the Ministry of Agriculture had failed to address the concerns of Sri Lankan small scale farmers, which amounts to 90% of the country’s food producers.
Moderator of MONLAR, Chinthaka Rajapakshe said that the policy did not focus on livestock development. It was a serious concern as livestock was an important part of agriculture and especially sustainable agriculture.
“In the last few weeks, a high powered committee too had been appointed to transform our economy into a sustainable one. However, the proposed Agricultural Policy has not even made any substantial proposals on sustainable agriculture. This is the problem with our governments, successive regimes have tried to implement mutually exclusive policies at the same time,” Rajapakshe said.
MONLAR believes that any National Agricultural Policy must give priority to addressing issues such as the country’s overdependence on food imports, the dwindling health and nutrition of farmers (for example CKDu, other non-communicable diseases and malnutrition,) high indebtedness and the landlessness, human – wild animal conflict and bad institutional support to farmers. Unfortunately, the proposed National Agricultural Policy has completely ignored these and has proposed market-based mechanisms that will only make matters worse.
“Successive Sri Lankan governments have signed several agreements with the World Trade Organization. These have led to serious issues in the sector. Instead of learning from the past mistakes, the government is planning to sign more bilateral and multilateral agreements that will further challenge the sustainability of Sri Lankan agriculture. However, the proposed National Agricultural Policy does not look at these future challenges,” Rajapakshe said.
Sri Lanka’s National Policy on Climate Change, National Environmental Policy and Strategies, National Wetland Policy and Strategies, Sri Lanka’s Forest Policy and its Land Use Policies should be linked with a successful National Agricultural Policy. However, none of them had been considered when drafting the National Agricultural Policy, he said.
The MONLAR moderator added that “Women play an important role in the production of food by small holders. The role played by the women are important in ensuring regional development, ensuring food sovereignty at the regional level and when disasters strike. Their contribution is also vital for the development of the national economy.
“However, none of our agricultural policies recognize that the woman is an equal partner in agriculture. Thus, they face a lot of discrimination in the policy formulation. There are many land laws that are discriminatory towards women, i.e. land development ordinance. They also face difficulties in accessing agricultural subsidies and insurance schemes. Women in agriculture also find it difficult to access the market and access technologies. Due to the above mentioned factors, women in agriculture face a great deal of difficulties and are vulnerable to various actors. The proposed National Agricultural Policy too suffers from the same weakness,” he said.
The proposed National Agricultural Policy speaks in length about the need for public – private partnerships in agriculture. However, the last four decades show that this approach would not be beneficial to small scale producers, consumers, and our natural resources. By continuing with this same failed policy, the proposed National Agricultural Policy can only make matters worse, he said.
“Most Sri Lankan farmers are indebted. This is an indication of the failure of existing agricultural loan insurance schemes. Leasing and loan schemes have also been used to make the farmer buy agricultural equipment, which are not being used optimally. The proposed National Agricultural Policy has not paid attention to strengthening the economy of small holders that would automatically address the social issues created by indebtedness. Given these MONLAR has no option but to reject this draft policy in whole,” 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
