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| Tuesday, 3 August 2004 |
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Towards better agricultural development of Sri Lanka by Professor Buddhi Marambe, Dean/Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya
Agriculture will continue to be a major contributor to the economies of most developing countries. Sri Lanka is no exception. However, the contribution of the agricultural sector to the gross domestic production (GDP) has progressively declined as a result of industrialization. Thus, in many developing countries, the agricultural sector is undergoing rapid changes with an increased market focus, competitive practices and higher productivity. In addition, employment opportunities in off-farm activities are expected to increase at a faster rate than in production agriculture. The trend in the recent past has been that the society is placing increased value on the environment, animal welfare, rehabilitation, medical care and other issues on quality of life, but less value on agricultural research, extension and higher education. However, the growing urban segment of the population is becoming increasingly dependent upon agricultural production. Thus, the agriculture sector should be directed professionally towards an efficient production path with sufficient surpluses to feed the growing population in both producing and non-producing categories. Increased production will, to a large extent, depend upon the technical and management know-how that is transferred to the farmers through qualified personnel. Efficient and quality agricultural environment is the key to attract and retain the workforce in the sector. Migration from rural to urban areas will be reduced only when the apparent disparity between the two sectors is reduced. The Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, together with other Faculties of Agriculture in the university system of Sri Lanka, must recognize the need and take leadership in designing and implementing strategies to assist the country to solve these burning issues. The Faculty should develop leaders who are able to effectively guide and direct the agro-based culture and industry in the future. Then and only then the agricultural graduates can make a useful contribution to the society. Strengths of the Faculty The Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Peradeniya comprises a strong teaching faculty with 107 well-qualified academic staff, more than 85 per cent of which with Ph.D. qualifications obtained from recognized universities around the world. The eight Departments of Study, namely Crop Science, Animal Science, Agricultural Biology, Agricultural Economics and Business Management, Food Science and Technology, Agricultural Engineering and Soil Science, provide training to undergraduates to make them best-fits to the changing technological and management environment of the country. The faculty is now offering semester-based undergraduate programs and the medium of instruction is English. Apart from the academic departments, the faculty has established the Agribusiness Center (AbC) in 1997, which is the outreach arm of the faculty that provides consultancy services, develop industry-faculty partnerships and helps in job placement of our graduates. The Agricultural Biotechnology Center (AgBC) was established in 2002 through assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) with all modern equipment to facilitate education and research in Biotechnology. There are many other centers in the faculty that contributes to national development namely, English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU), Computer Unit, Gender Education and Women's Initiative Unit, Teaching Methodology Unit (TMU), Electronic Services Unit, Soil-Plant-Water Analytical Service and the Clean Development Mechanism Study Center, that provide training to undergraduates, carry out research and development activities at national level and provide services to the industry. The faculty also has three well-equipped, farms located at different agro-ecological regions that provide practical training on production, technology, and management aspects of agriculture to the undergraduates together with opportunities for them to interact with farming communities. A number of key changes must take place in the education process if the faculty is to prosper further and produce graduates better equipped to face the emerging challenges in society. The need to broaden the existing programs and to incorporate components that are lacking in the curricula should be realized before the transformation of programs in agriculture higher education. An area of opportunity is right on our doorsteps. The faculty currently offers two degree programs, i.e. B.Sc. Agriculture and B.Sc. Food Science and Technology. It is important to note that the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Peradeniya has focused on what it can do best. The faculty has worked hard at undergraduate education to maintain and enhance the quality and relevance of the programs. B.Sc. Agriculture degree program: A degree in agriculture should combine an understanding of the agricultural, biological and physical sciences with economics, managerial, technological skills. Developments in agriculture and associated businesses in the country and worldwide, have led to the need for graduates who have technical and practical skills with an in-depth knowledge of science, technology and management. The students at Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Peradeniya will have the wonderful opportunity to acquire these qualities. The standard dictionaries define agriculture as "the science or art of cultivating the soil, producing crops and raising livestock". However, what faculty offers to the students in the B.Sc. Agriculture curriculum is of a wider scope than this standard and rather narrow definition. Among the courses offered in the curriculum that extend beyond this definition of agriculture include Plantation Management, Biodiversity Conservation, Forestry, Food Science and Technology, Computer Applications, Product Development and Processing, Marketing, Communication, Biotechnology, Agricultural Economics and Business Management, Organizational Management, Agricultural and Bio-systems Engineering, Machinery Management, Post-harvest Physiology and Technology, Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing, Electronics and Instrumentation for Agriculture, Soil and Water Management and Waste Management. The Faculty is also exploring an environmental science option that will further develop the resources management and conservation areas. The aim of the B.Sc. Agriculture degree program is to develop technical, management, inter-personal and problem solving skills to prepare graduates for a successful career in agriculture and related industries. This degree has been designed to provide training, which is academically sound and professionally appropriate. Students who follow the degree program receive a unique education that combines science, technology and management, learn innovative and precision management practices to increase crop and animal productivity, sustainable utilization resources, minimizing pollution, maximizing energy use efficiency, etc. The students are guided towards developing an interest in agriculture with positive social attitude and critical thinking abilities. The career opportunities of graduates include managerial opportunities in government and private sectors, banking, consultancy and subsidiary industry or farm management. B.Sc. Food Science and Technology degree program: The faculties that are dynamic and also have broadened their programs will thrive better. It will no longer be possible even to survive with a one-dimensional program targeted to a single group of clients. Faculties that intend to be pioneers must scan the horizons and identify needs, which are not being adequately served and foster relationships with new client groups. Keeping up with the national education policies and reforms, the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Peradeniya has designed new degree programs within the national initiatives to meet priority needs of the country. After 57 years of Agricultural Education in the university system and indeed after a needs assessment, the faculty decided to expand its horizons and offer B.Sc. Food Science and Technology degree program in addition to the B.Sc. Agriculture degree. It is a well-known fact that lack of value addition and post-harvest handling and preservation technologies are major constraints in developing quality agricultural products that reach the consumers. This new degree, offered for the first time by the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya from 2003/2004 academic year, covers the disciplines in which the engineering, biological and physical science are used to study the nature of foods, the causes of deterioration, the principles of underlying processing and the improvements of foods for the consuming public. In addition, the students are trained in application of food science principles to the selection, preservation, processing, packaging, distribution and use of safe, nutritious and wholesome foods. The B.Sc. Food Science and Technology degree program fulfils a national requirement in producing graduates with fundamental knowledge and practical capabilities in Food Science and Technology to serve the industry, research sector and the academia. The degree program also has a partnership arrangement with the industry that has been built on the strengths of the organizations in order to provide a course, which is academically challenging and focused on the application of theory into practice. The career opportunities of graduates fall mainly in the ever-expanding food sector. |
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