Agriculture and environment

Clinton Rodrigo

Environment: It is an accepted contention that Sri Lanka's economy constitutes an essentially agricultural oriented entity and it has been from time immemorial. An innovation of recent origin is that finances do come into the country also from non agricultural sources such as remittances from the Middle East by the multitude of expatriate workers from those countries.

In addition, the country also immensely benefits financially from the sale of its manufactured garments from its large factories in essentially the demarcated Free Trade Zones. The latter two can be considered more temporary than absolutely permanent resources. Our country is considered to be one of the most fertile in the entirety of the South East Asian region.

This natural fertility should be strictly preserved for posterity if the natural wealth of the country in the form of its plantations are to be maintained. This necessity is of paramount importance for its future prosperity as a land with an abundant, agricultural oriented economy.

It is indeed sad to state that successive Governments that have governed Sri Lanka have not paid adequate attention and importance to this dire necessity. In consequence the once very fertile land of this country is in an accelerated and rapid process of deterioration by neglect.

This is as a result of the all important aspects of soil coacervation and prevention of its erosion not being afforded the much needed attention it deserves. It is thereby the reason for which the 'Tilth' of the soil its 'crumb structure' and its depth of the all important 'Top Soil' has deteriorated to a now non-acceptable level thereby weakening its natural soil fertility. This unfortunate scenario has retarded the growth of agricultural crops of accepted species.

It is in this context that the importance of the preservation of environment is of great importance. The successful growth of the countries accepted plantation crops like tea, rubber and coconut in the main with minor crops of the nature of cardamom, pepper, cinnamon and others of the spice variety essentially with the all important paddy too now accepted as an important crop.

I am a dedicated and a devoted agriculturist and a contributor interested in the development and sustenance as a loyal citizen and a lover of my Motherland. I may lack paper qualifications which now appear to be the criterion for assessment of competence rather than the weather beaten proven practical agriculturist with only an agricultural Diploma from Peradeniya which I possess besides of course my realms of practical experience.

This experience is consequent to my, having been a Senior Regional Chairman and a Central Board Director for the then Janatha Estate Development Board to be more specific and to underline my credibility. I was in-charge of the nationalised Tea, Rubber and Coconut Plantations in the Hatton, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy and Avissawella regions.

I have a very important suggestion to make and that is irrespective of the dire financial constraints this country now faces, yet still it should be incumbent for it to isolate 3 percent of the country's national budget for purposes of experimentation, research, soil conservation and checking soil erosion in all agricultural lands growing sustainable agricultural crops - many of which I have specified earlier in this narration.

I have to sound a word of caution in earnest to the powers that hold position in this country and impress to them the importance of this commitment if we are to progress positively on the agricultural fields we are committed to.

My impression of stark reality is that unless the country realizes the value of this commitment, we as a developing third world country will fast diminish to one of total disintegration.

Another important feature, I need to point out is the absolute necessity to ensure that the 3 percent of the national budget isolated for what I have stated above is spent for the purpose it is meant and to this end extreme vigilance must be exercised and organisation effected to ensure its maximum utilisation for this isolated dire suggestion I have mooted.

I implore the Government authorities to not just 'turn the page' and forget my earnest and sincere suggestions made as regards the importance of the Agricultural well-being of the country to work in conjunction with the protection of the environment which are very worthy and important criteria to this developing country.

I must admit that the logistical enactment as regards the drafting of the relevant legislation, bureaucracy and to obviate the 'Red Tape' that generally binds these intentions that constitute the obligation of the governmental ministry that covers the all important aspects of agriculture and the environment.

I already am aware that the Government possesses a Ministry for Agricultural and Plantations in addition to a highly competent Environmental Authority for preservation of the environment termed 'Central Environmental Authority.' Hence as the ground work is already laid may I implore that they are utilised to see the light of the day of these narrations prescribed herein.

The author is a competent agriculturist with extensive experience on the subject of this narration. He will voluntarily disburse his knowledge for the well-being of the country to anyone who wants to contact him on agricultural matters.