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Not a single seed farm has been started in SL since 1990 — Anura Kumara Dissanayake
‘While seed mafia holds sway’
by Saman Indrajith
Successive governments in recent years have contributed towards total subjugation of the country’s agriculture seed market to the multinational corporations, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said.
Participating in the committee stage debate on budget 2021, MP Dissanayake said: “There are three main mafias in the world – the first is the pharmaceutical mafia, the second is weapons mafia and the third is seed mafia. The seed companies such as Monsanto of the US had totally subjugated the world seed market. They have been able to set up their local agents who in turn control the local seed market for a profit.
“This is a very profitable business. When a kilo of chilli seeds unloaded at Colombo harbor its CFI value is $300 (Rs. 55,000) in rupees but sold in the market at Rs 169,000. The CFI value of a kilo of papaw is 190 dollars at the harbor (Rs. 35,150) but sold at Rs. 800,000 in the market. A kilo of seed tomato is 600 dollars in its CFI value at the harbor. That means Rs. 110,000 but sold at Rs 190,000 in the market.
“A kilo of cabbage seed is at $85 in its CIF value (Rs.15,725) but sold at Rs 400,000 in the market. These figures will help you understand what is really happening. Can we break this monopoly of the seed mafia and its local agents?
“Since 1990 not a single seed farm has been started in this country. The seed farms we had were sold. Seed farms at Pelvehera, Hingurakgoda and China farm between Thamuttagama and Talawa were sold to CIC. The Mahailuppallama seed farm today is abandoned to become a forest of ipil-ipil. There was a plan to sell that too off to a Bangladesh company in 2018.
“We in Sri Lanka had a bio-diversity rich seed culture. We had varieties of pumpkin, ladies fingers, maze etc, but none of them exist now. Those varieties were suitable for the soil, environment zone and climate of those zones. None of those varieties are seen now. We have only the products coming from the seeds provided to us by the multinational corporations.
“The loss of seed culture and the subjugation to the multinational corporations is only an outcome of the sorry state prevailing. The situation of agriculture in the country today could be seen in the way the government treats the agriculture minister. Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage holds the agriculture portfolio.
“On Aug. 9 in a gazette allocating institutions to the ministries, four institutions namely the Agriculture Department, Agriculture and Agrarian Insurance Board, Elkaduwa Plantations Ltd and Export Agriculture Department were placed under his purview. In another gazette dated Sept. 23, the number was brought down to two. Mahindananda Aluthgamage is the first-ever agriculture Minister in the country without the Agrarian Services Board and Department of Export Agriculture under his purview. The Council for Agricultural Research Policy (CARP) is also not under his purview.
“Our nation is known since time immemorial as a civilization based on agriculture, but the contribution made by agriculture to the GDP is not sufficient today. Agriculture occupies 11 percent of lands, 25 percent of the workforce but contributes only seven percent to the GDP. Its contribution to the industries sector is 35 percent. That is the main problem of the country’s agriculture sector today.
“The second problem is the poor living conditions of the farmers. The least number of facilities in healthcare, drinking water, education, roads and housing are allocated to the farmers. They live in abject poverty as a result. They are in debt to the fertilizer shop, pesticide shop, the millers and the paddy purchasers. Their jewelry is at the pawnbrokers. They have become prey to the micro-credit companies. So the lives of farmers should not only be brought up economically but also socially if the government has any genuine intention of developing the country’s agriculture sector”.
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
