Land inventory to identify fit lands for agriculture, plantations and horticulture

Hiran H. SENEWIRATNE

LANDS: The Government is moving towards the introduction of a land inventory system to the country in the future for the benefit of country’s agriculture, plantations, horticulture and other sectors, said the Advisor to the President on Agriculture Lakshman Jayakody.

He said that today finding a good land is a difficult task due to the absence of a proper land inventory in the country.

“For want of a land inventory the government is now planning to pass a special Act in Parliament in the future,”Jayakody said at the Annual Meeting of the Sri Lanka Fruit and Vegetable Producers, Processors and Exporters Association.

Jayakody said that the President has taken over the task of solving the main obstacle the industry suffers and he very clearly mentioned the fact that country must concentrate on exporting vegetables and fruits.

Therefore to survive in the international market all products must add value using latest technology for the benefit of the sector, he said.

He said that having a proper land inventory would create greater convenience for the personnel who are involved in agriculture and plantation sectors to identify an appropriate land that suits their purpose.

He said, sometimes bureaucracy does not help to allocate lands even though, the political will is in favour.

He said that certain lands especially belonging to the Forest Department and Wild Life Department could not be released for any agricultural purpose since those lands are reserved for the protection of nature.

Presidential Advisor said that the Ceylon Government Railways (CGR) has plenty of lands, which could not be utilised for any purposes, which are mostly strips of land.

Most lands in the up-country areas could not be used for agriculture because they are not suitable for agriculture due to its terrain condition and most of the Mahaweli lands are faced with water problems, he said.

Jayakody said that having a proper land inventory would help the country’s entire plantation and agriculture sector in the long run.

In addition to that Jayakody emphasised certain areas to be dealt with especially having a separate terminal (green channel) for perishable exports.

He said that non-availability of airline space, for exports, heavy customs charges and establishment of support chains, lack of (cool rooms, transport, electricity, agri-centers etc) are major constraints in the development of agriculture.

Further, export restrictions for Sri Lanka produce in India, training and certification - ISO & HACCP, outgrower farmer villages with pilot projects and pilot project financing are other factors that need to be considered, he said.