The economic potential in agro-tourism

At a time when workable and profitable ideas are in great demand comes this concept of agro-tourism, promoted enthusiastically by Investment, Industries and Tourism Minister Anura Bandaranaike and Agriculture, Livestock, Land's and Irrigation Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Essentially, what is intended under this new development methodology is the linking of the country's rural sector with tourism. Accordingly, the village and its growth potential would be very much in focus under this linkage between two economic sectors which usually develop in isolation.

Details are yet to come in on this novel scheme, but it could be surmised that the provincial sector would be developed in such a way that some of the country's tourist traffic would be attracted to it. The establishment of economic linkages between the rural sector and tourism would enable the former to prosper to a greater degree because more jobs would be created in our villages along with the upgrading of rural infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and power pylons, parallel to the creation of Nature Parks, Investment Villages, herbaria and the like which would prove attractions to the foreign and local tourist.

Ideally, agro-tourism should develop hand-in-hand with eco-tourism. As is well known eco-tourism aims at putting to fruitful use the average Western tourist's interest in tropical eco-systems. It is a far-seeing concept which Sri Lanka is believed to be vibrantly pursuing. Likewise, the tourism potential in local agriculture is waiting to be exploited in full.

With vegetarianism catching on in particularly the West, the time is ripe to explore the possibility of drawing the incoming tourist traffic to rural-based vegetable farms and the like. Besides, forward linkages could be established between these farms and our tourist hotels and resort areas, thereby making rural agriculture a profitable concern.

Thus, it could be seen that the economic potential is varied and sizeable in the area of agro-tourism. What we need is a daring spirit which would say "no" to teething problems and temporary setbacks.

It need hardly be said that local agriculture needs to be rendered profitable once again. That rural youth in particular are deserting our agricultural farms and even paddy lands in increasing numbers is no longer news. It is mainly the prospect of earning a pretty penny out of agriculture which would bring our rural youth back to the soil. Here's where agro-tourism would come in handy.

When the profitability of agro-tourism is established more and more rural entrepreneurs could be induced into investing in it with State assistance. There are possibilities here which shouldn't go untapped.

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Data world

The proposed launch of a National Data Centre (NDC) will fulfil a long-felt need. The precursor for this state-of-the art centralised data management system is the extensive database of the Centre for National Operations (CNO) which wound up its operations four weeks after the tsunami disaster.

Many developed countries have similar data centres, which provide instant information on a range of topics. The NDC too will contain up-to-the-minute data and statistics on the country and its people. A presence on the Web will enable anyone anywhere in the world with an Internet connection to access the latest information on Sri Lanka.

The Department of Census and Statistics, the Central Bank, Police and other agencies which deal extensively with statistics should play a pivotal role in establishing and operating the NDC, which will function under the Secretary to the President. They should integrate their existing data with the new data expected to be collected by the NDC.

The authorities should also seriously consider issuing a 'smart' ID card preferably with a chip that stores all vital information on an individual - name, address, sex, blood group, medical history, fingerprint, iris scan etc. This will, of course, be a massive and costly effort that requires the close coordination of a gamut of departments and agencies (Health, Department of Registration of Persons, Police etc), but the benefits far outweigh such considerations. Several countries are on track to introduce these ID cards.

This system will prove invaluable at a time of national disaster and even on a much smaller scale, such as a serious accident. Medical crews will be able to instantly download information on the victims and begin treatment much faster.

Identifying the deceased will be much easier if medical information is also included.

The CNO also initiated the establishment of a DNA fingerprinting centre within the Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Colombo, which is another first. This could also be closely linked to the NDC. Such a system will benefit the police and judicial services and even forensic experts.

Ethicists and human rights campaigners question whether a State has the right to gather and publish so much information on individuals. They claim it is an invasion of privacy.

On the other hand, the State has a duty to protect to its citizens at all times and it should have the relevant information in an easily available form.

The debate on this issue is likely to continue as technology advances. But the individual should not become a mere statistic as nations embrace all-encompassing data portals.