Main Points In Hindi (मुख्य बातें – हिंदी में)
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खेती और खाद्य प्रणाली की दक्षता: श्रीलंका की खाद्य प्रणाली में दक्षताओं को कम करने की आवश्यकता है, ताकि उपभोक्ताओं को उच्च गुणवत्ता वाले चावल की उचित कीमत पर उपलब्धता सुनिश्चित की जा सके, जबकि उत्पादकों को आर्थिक नुकसान न हो।
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कृषि और खाद्य सुरक्षा: खाद्य सुरक्षा केवल राष्ट्रीय कृषि उत्पादन पर निर्भर नहीं रह सकती; इसके लिए खाद्य आयात की भी आवश्यकता होती है, विशेष रूप से जलवायु परिवर्तन और अन्य आपदाओं के कारण। साथ ही, कृषि क्षेत्र की वृद्धि को अधिकतम करने की जरूरत है।
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राजनीतिक इच्छाशक्ति और निर्णय लेने की आवश्यकता: खाद्य प्रणाली में सभी प्रमुख संस्थाओं (किसान, उत्पादक, व्यापारी आदि) की सामूहिक भागीदारी से उत्पादन लागत और खाद्य मूल्य निर्धारण में सहयोग जरूरी है। इसके लिए राजनीतिक इच्छाशक्ति और प्रभावी निर्णय लेना आवश्यक है।
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आधुनिक कृषि प्रौद्योगिकियाँ: डेटा के आधार पर निर्णय लेकर संसाधनों के कुशल उपयोग और कृषि उत्पादकता को बनाए रखना आजकल लोकप्रिय हो रहा है। स्मार्ट कृषि प्रौद्योगिकियों का उपयोग करते हुए, श्रीलंका को अपनी कृषि उत्पादकता और स्थिरता बढ़ाने की दिशा में कदम उठाने चाहिए।
- चिंताओं और चुनौतियों का समाधान: कृषि उत्पादन में कमी, जैसे चावल और मक्का की उच्च कीमतें, और संभावित खाद्य असुरक्षा के मुद्दों पर ध्यान देने की आवश्यकता है। इन चुनौतियों का समाधान करने के लिए सही नीतियों और तकनीकी सहायता की आवश्यकता है।
Main Points In English(मुख्य बातें – अंग्रेज़ी में)
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Food System Efficiency: The article emphasizes the need to minimize inefficiencies within Sri Lanka’s food system to ensure high-quality rice is available at affordable prices for consumers while not disadvantaging producers. An efficient food system requires coordinated efforts among all stakeholders, including farmers, processors, and consumers.
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Agricultural and Economic Development: Highlighting the importance of transitioning from a stable to a growing economy, the article calls for prioritizing financial management, food security, and agricultural development. The author stresses that achieving food security requires a balance of local production and necessary food imports, especially in the face of climate challenges.
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Resilience and Technological Advancements: To address challenges like climate change, the introduction of resilient crop varieties and smart agricultural technologies is vital. The successes of drought-resistant rice and new tea cultivars illustrate how technical advancements can foster agricultural recovery and sustainability.
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Market Coordination and Price Stability: The article reflects on the need for joint decision-making among all food system participants to stabilize prices and accommodate both consumer and producer needs throughout the food supply chain. This includes addressing the fluctuating prices of rice and other products due to imbalanced focus on farmers versus consumers.
- Interconnectedness of Crop and Livestock Production: The text argues for recognizing the interrelationship between crop cultivation and animal husbandry. By empowering producers with knowledge and resources, the government can bridge gaps in supply, particularly in maize critical for the poultry industry, thereby enhancing overall food security and economic stability.
Complete News In Hindi(पूरी खबर – हिंदी में)
The inefficiencies in the entire food system should be minimised to provide high quality rice at an affordable price to the consumer, without causing economic disadvantages to the producer
Sri Lanka has elected its 9th Executive President. How the election was won and finding reasons for the defeat of other parties may be politically important. However, more focus should be placed on the country’s development, at a time when we are struggling to transform from an apparent stable economy to a growing economy. It is not easy to make ‘miracle’ changes, but there is no “ifs or buts” that Sri Lanka should move forward along sustainable development paths. I would like to rate financial management, energy, food and agriculture, education, health, and climate change and environment as priority areas in the overall economy. Among them, this article focuses on selected segments of the food and agriculture sector. Although discussed in isolation, I wish to emphasise that the way forward in the sector should be harmonised with other economic sectors to ensure its true sense of advancement. Political will and courage to make sound and effective decisions are indeed crucial in such efforts.
First, it is important to realise that a country’s food security cannot be achieved entirely through national agricultural production. We need food imports to fill voids in the food requirements resulting from climate change and other disasters (assuming no policy-level blunders), and to support the tourism industry. However, we should maximise the contribution of the agricultural sector (crop and animal production including aquaculture) to the overall food security of the country.
Agriculture not only provides food for direct human consumption, but also the basic inputs required for agro-based industries. We consume fruits and vegetables in the raw and processed forms. Cereals such as rice and maize, and legumes, tubers, etc. need to be processed before human consumption. Maize and rice are also important raw materials for animal feed supporting animal-based food production to overcome protein malnutrition in the country.
According to the government Department of Agriculture (DOA), the per capita consumption of rice (de-husked paddy) in Sri Lanka has increased from 107 kg per year to 112.3 kg per year over the last 5 years. The national demand for rice has increased indicating the need for increased paddy production. Our paddy production was reduced by 34% in 2022 due to irrational policy decisions taken in 2021. The limitation of land for cultivation emphasises the need to increase land productivity (production per unit land area). New technology and scientific knowledge and skills on using them will make a special contribution to accomplish this goal. For example, our scientists have developed high yielding varieties which are cultivated in about 98% of paddy fields in the country.
Resilience
We have found solutions to tackle climate change; e.g. the DOA has developed drought resistant rice varieties (e.g. Bg 251 and Bg 314), introduced Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to revive paddy production that collapsed due to the poor policies, etc. When it comes to plantation crops, the Tea Research Institute has released a drought tolerant TRI 5000 series tea cultivar to boost the tea production under climate threats. Those are few examples to show that the country has shown resilience and has bounced back after the impact of natural or man-made disasters, highlighting our technical capacity, commitment, and technological orientation.
Moreover, we should not undermine the role played by major rice processing mills owned by the private sector and thus, we Sri Lankans have the opportunity to consume high quality rice. The rice processing industry needs to be further strengthened by developing facilities at the regional level considering paddy production capacity, regulating the paddy purchase by the private sector, improving the condition of storage facilities, and removing market inefficiencies. This needs to be planned and executed not by targeting to penalize the main rice processors (mill owners). This is where the political will and interventions would be essentially required.
The distance travelled by food from the farm and time taken to reach consumers should be carefully analysed to support decision making to reduce “food miles”, food losses and consumer prices. A recent analysis done by Faculty of Agriculture of University of Peradeniya, with operational support from six other Faculties of Agriculture, and financial support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and International Water Management Institute (IWMI) would provide some insights to such an effort. This “food system” study including paddy/rice, maize, beans, banana, potato, chicken meat and marine fish as food commodities, highlighted that minimizing inefficiencies in the entire food system should to provide high quality food at an affordable price to the consumer, without an economic disadvantages to the producer.
Fluctuations
of price of rice
Unfortunately, the country has paid more focus on the farmer at the beginning of a cultivating season (ignoring consumer) and focused more on the consumer at the time of harvest. This has dramatically affected the fluctuations of price of rice and other food products. Joint decision-making on cost of primary production (e.g. paddy) and price of processed product (e.g. rice) should be made with representative participation of all focal units in the food system (e.g.: input supplier–farmer–collector–processor–transporter–wholesaler–retailer–consumer) to help determining the overall price structures. A controlled price cannot stand for many years. Pre- and end-season consultation with appropriate modifications will help support all players in the food system with fair profit margins and affordable prices to the consumers. We need to build on the work done in the past, without starting from square one.
The poultry industry in Sri Lanka was on the verge of collapse due to the shortage of local maize production (the main ingredient of animal feed). About 83% of our total maize requirement goes for poultry feed production, 3% for other animal feed, 7% for human consumption (immature cobs), and 6% for producing high nutritional feed like “Thriphosha” and “Samaposha”, and 1% for alcohol production.
The local maize production was negatively affected due to the absence of fertiliser and pesticides and shortage of foreign exchange in importing maize and other inputs, leading to their high market prices. This situation was aggravated by the ban imposed in 2020 on using rice as an ingredient of animal feed. These changes led to an unprecedented increase in the price of chicken meat and especially eggs (from Rs. 15 to Rs. 70) causing significant inconvenience to consumers. With respect to nutritional needs of humans, shortage of the main staple that supply energy component of the diet can be addressed in the short-run with starchy alternatives, but the weakness caused by protein deficiency especially in pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children, cannot be easily resolved, and will have serious long-term negative effects on the overall population and economic development. Further, the Government should take steps to revoke the gazette No. 2185/67 on 23 July 2020 issued by the Ministry of Trade to facilitate use of rice for animal feed, without affecting rice availability for direct human consumption. There should be a strong connectivity between the agriculture-sub sectors that provide raw materials for human food and animal feed production.
In general, Sri Lankans consume about 3000 million eggs every year, however, its short supply led the Government to import about 94 million eggs from India in the recent past. In the last few days, we have experienced a drop in egg prices, which is good news for consumers. However, it seems that there is an “over production” so that producers sell eggs at an economic loss. But, the power of absorbing market shocks mainly depends on the scale of operation. Though the low egg prices in the market seems attractive, immediate measures should be taken to ensure that the chicken industry will not face another crisis where the small scale and medium-scale chicken farmers (meat and egg) would perish economically, resulting in a vicious cycle. Providing raw materials (e.g. maize) inadequate quantities to the poultry industry is the way out.
Interrelationship between crop cultivation and animal husbandry
Although it seems difficult to produce the maize requirement locally, the Government should guide the primary producers and private sector, empowering them with scientific knowledge and skills, and facilitating provision of better planting material and management packages. We should never ignore the interrelationship between crop cultivation and animal husbandry. Policy/political level decision making in these lines is a must for furthering the advances in the agriculture sector.
Knowing the present and future need for maize, including estimated annual growth rate of the poultry industry, the DOA has developed maize hybrids locally, yielding as high as imported maize hybrids. It is commendable that new varieties have also been introduced by the private sector through breeding programs. The need now is to popularise those through private-public partnerships with the involvement of DOA and Department of Animal Production and Health, and produce adequate quantities of seeds as planting material. This does not mean that importation of hybrid maize seeds for planting should be stopped, which may just be even a political slogan. What is required is to take correct decisions at the right time with futuristic targets, and implement them to avoid any gluts or shortages.
Tea sector in Sri Lanka has also undergone various ups and downs in the past. Due to lack of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, the total tea production declined by 17% in 2022, and is still to recover. However, many tea estates in Sri Lanka have shown a declining yield mainly due to the ageing tea bushes, which is a key biological limiting factor. Tea bushes usually give maximum economic yields until 30-35 years, but in many places their current age exceeds 60 years. Replanting of tea estates was recommended at least at a rate of 2% per year. However, the high cost of operations (generally costing more than Rupees 4.5 million per hectare, with tea plants taking about 3 years to reach harvest) has hampered the replanting rate keeping well-below the expected levels. Regardless of the quantity of fertilizer added, senile tea bushes will not provide the required harvest. Therefore, paying more attention to re-planting through a credit scheme is an urgent need (in addition to solving other socio-economic issues).
Smart agricultural technologies
Finally, I would like to briefly touch on smart agricultural technologies. Making decisions based on data for efficient use of inputs and maintaining agricultural productivity and sustainability is popular in many countries today. Sri Lanka has also recently started using such sustainable agricultural technologies. For example, a paid-service is currently provided to paddy farmers through public-private-partnership in 64 Agrarian Service Centers (ASCs) to apply pesticides by using spray-drones. Adopting such technologies in crop and animal production would help in precise use of resources and reaching desired development goals in the agriculture sector effectively. More importantly, such technologies will help reduce the environmental burden from the Agriculture sector ensuring sustainability. It is clear that political interventions to encourage relevant sectors to move into smart agriculture, obviously with sound technological knowledge, would enhance the efficiency of resource utilisation and productivity.
The leap-jump forward or modernising of Sri Lanka’s agricultural economy will not take place just because of the availability of new technology. Such progression cannot be expected from those who are incompetent (unable to think scientifically) with no investment capacity. However, the contribution of those who are competent (equipped with technical knowhow) having investment capacity will take our agriculture to the next level. Agriculture provides a part of basic needs to those in abject poverty and any Government investment or subsidies targeting such groups will support their livelihood, but it is mostly a cost-factor to the overall economy. Participation of the competent group of individuals or entities across food systems will no doubt drive the agricultural economy through their own efforts, with minimum input from the Government. Well-directed political interventions coupled with sound economic policies and more importantly a knowledgeable set of advisers who are cognisant about scientific and ground realities are the needs of the hour to improve the overall agriculture sector of Sri Lanka.
(The writer is attached to the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya.)
Complete News In English(पूरी खबर – अंग्रेज़ी में)
To ensure high-quality rice is available at a fair price for consumers, we must address the inefficiencies in our food system without disadvantaging producers.
Sri Lanka has elected its 9th Executive President. While analyzing the election results is important, we should focus more on the country’s development as we move from a seemingly stable economy to a growing one. Achieving significant improvements won’t be easy, but it’s essential that Sri Lanka follows sustainable development paths. I believe that key areas for economic improvement include financial management, energy, food and agriculture, education, health, and environmental issues. This article will specifically look at parts of the food and agriculture sector, emphasizing that progress in this area must align with other economic sectors, requiring strong political will and effective decision-making.
First, we need to understand that a nation’s food security can’t rely solely on local farming. We require food imports to meet needs affected by climate change and to support tourism. However, we should work to maximize the agricultural sector’s contribution to our overall food security.
Agriculture not only provides food for us to eat but also raw materials for food-related industries. We consume fruits, vegetables, and cereals like rice and maize, which often need processing. Maize and rice also serve as crucial ingredients for animal feed, helping combat protein deficiency in our population.
According to the Department of Agriculture, rice consumption in Sri Lanka has grown from 107 kg to 112.3 kg per person per year over the last five years. National demand for rice is increasing, which highlights the need to enhance paddy production. In 2022, our paddy output dropped by 34% due to poor policy decisions made in 2021. The limited farming land also stresses the need to boost productivity by using technology and scientific methods. For example, high-yield rice varieties are now grown in 98% of our paddy fields.
Resilience
We have developed solutions to combat climate change, such as creating drought-resistant rice varieties and promoting Good Agricultural Practices to revive paddy production. In the tea sector, drought-resistant tea plants have been developed to enhance production under changing climate conditions. These examples show how our country has bounced back from challenges, demonstrating our capacity for recovery and innovation.
It’s also vital not to overlook the role of major private rice processing mills, which enable Sri Lankans to access high-quality rice. We must strengthen the rice processing industry by developing regional facilities, regulating paddy purchases, improving storage conditions, and eliminating market inefficiencies. This requires planning and action that doesn’t unfairly penalize the processors.
We should analyze how food travels from farms to consumers to minimize “food miles” and reduce costs. A recent study by the University of Peradeniya on various food commodities, including rice and chicken, revealed that reducing inefficiencies in the food system is essential to provide quality food at reasonable prices to consumers while ensuring producers are not economically harmed.
Price Fluctuations
Unfortunately, farmers have often received too much attention at the start of the growing season while consumers are prioritized during harvest time. This approach has led to unstable rice prices. We need joint decisions involving all parts of the food system to set fair prices for both raw and processed products. Discussions at the beginning and end of the growing season can help ensure everyone in the food system benefits.
The poultry industry, heavily reliant on local maize for feed, faced severe challenges due to low local maize production. A large percentage of our maize is used for poultry feed, and local production lagged due to a lack of fertilizers and foreign exchange for imports. This situation worsened when a ban on using rice in animal feed was imposed in 2020. Consequently, the price of chicken and eggs surged, creating hardships for consumers. An urgent solution needs to address the protein deficiency caused by this shortage.
To improve egg production in Sri Lanka, we’ve had to import millions of eggs. Recently, egg prices fell, but producers are now selling at a loss. It’s crucial to avoid another crisis for small and medium-scale poultry farmers by ensuring adequate supply of feed materials like maize.
Crop and Animal Farming Interrelationship
Although it might be challenging to grow enough maize locally, the government should support farmers and the private sector by providing knowledge and resources. Recognizing the close relationship between crop farming and animal husbandry is essential for progressing in agriculture.
The Department of Agriculture has developed local maize hybrids that yield as well as imported varieties. New hybrids from the private sector are also available. It’s vital to promote these seeds through partnerships between public and private sectors, ensuring adequate production. Importing hybrid maize seeds should continue, but correct decisions must be made based on future needs.
The tea industry has faced numerous challenges, with production down 17% in 2022 due to a lack of fertilizers and aging tea bushes. The cost of replanting is high, and we need to focus on this issue to improve yields. This must be prioritized alongside resolving other socio-economic challenges.
Smart Agricultural Technologies
Lastly, using smart agricultural technologies can help optimize input use and maintain productivity. Programs are underway in Sri Lanka, like the use of spray-drones for pesticide application. These innovations can help make agriculture more efficient and environmentally friendly. Political support to advance smart agriculture is crucial for improving resource use and productivity.
Modernizing Sri Lanka’s agriculture will not happen solely through new technologies; it requires knowledgeable individuals capable of effective investment. Government investments can assist those in poverty, but progress will largely depend on capable private sector participants driving the agricultural economy. Strong political direction, sound economic policies, and knowledgeable advisors are essential to enhance Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector.
(The writer is affiliated with the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya.)
This version simplifies the language while retaining the core messages regarding Sri Lanka’s agricultural challenges and the need for sustainable development.